• 1 stick butter (Land o'Lakes) 1/2 c. shortening (Crisco) 1 c. water 4 T. cocoa 2 c. sugar 2 c. flour 1/2 t. salt 1/2 c. buttermilk (this is not low fat buttermilk) 1 t. baking soda 2 eggs 1 t. vanilla 16 oz. powdered sugar 1 stick butter 6 T. milk 4 T. cocoa 1 t. vanilla 1 c. pecans, chopped (If you have time to toast the nuts, it's even better!)

1. Combine all these ingredients, bring to a boil, and pour over 2 c. sugar, 2 c. flour, 1/2 t. salt
2. Then add 1/2 c. buttermilk, 1 t. baking soda, 2 eggs, 1 t. vanilla
3. Mix all well.
Pour into a greased and floured 11 x 17 pan. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.
4. For the icing: 16 oz. powdered sugar, 1 stick butter, 6 T. milk, 4 T. cocoa, 1 t. vanilla, 1 c. pecans, chopped (If you have time to toast the nuts, it's even better!)

Growing up we never had cake. Mama was intimidated to cook anything Grandmother had perfected. Brother married a Delta girl who, having learned to make sheet cake as a child, proceeded to experiment with church cookbook recipes until she mastered a chocolate layer cake. She inherited Grandmother's aluminum cake carrier. "Usually it's just displayed in the kitchen but occasionally I use it. Makes it seem like she's right there with us when I do." Mary Howard's cake became a family tradition like her mother's rolls, "If Aunt Sis makes the best and most delicious yeast rolls, then we ALWAYS want her to bring those rolls so we can experience that comfort again and again."

Balancing an infant and a new veterinary practice, the Kings were careful with their money. A cake would be Aunt Alice's perfect birthday present. "I like to set aside an afternoon or morning (about four hours start to finish) when I bake a chocolate layer cake. It's about being able to have time to enjoy the process and not feel rushed or hurried. Rushing and hurrying are a sure-fire way to take the enjoyment out of anything. And, if I plan to have a child in the kitchen with me, I plan even more time. Children aren't meant to be rushed when learning in the kitchen. And they are meant to learn independence and confidence of cooking by themselves with limited hovering on my part. Taking the proper amount of time, lingering over the recipe and ingredients, and baking something can leave a person with a boost of self-esteem and confidence-true for adults and children alike. There's a great feeling knowing that what I'm preparing is going to be enjoyed by others. And it's going to provide nourishment for others. That nourishment is many times not a physical nourishment either."

Late in the afternoon, Bro calls, sounding like a responsible vestryman, "Mary Howard's at home sobbing." Sobbing? Vicksburg would never have fallen if "Mae" had been on the bluff. "Daniel was two that year he dug those tiny little hands into that birthday cake. I think he thought since he had helped measure and dump ingredients that he had ownership in it!" Homemade cakes, moist with sour cream, are easy to patch. Baker's chocolate icing with store-brand pecans makes a perfect cover-up.

For another birthday, Mae made two cakes. "One was called a "Queen Mother Cake." By the time I finished with it, I was calling it the Queen Mother [something else] Cake. The steps were so complicated. Instead of flour, the recipe called for grinding almonds. Well, my goodness, I had never ground anything before. I don't know what I was thinking, but at that point I was determined not to let a cake recipe get the best of me. It did finally turn out to be a pretty tasty cake but I have NEVER made that cake again."

The chocolate cake tradition returned, including the story about little hands.