Grandpa's Birthday Cake

One year (and just one year) Mom made this birthday cake for Grandpa. It must have been in the 1980s because we still lived on Lincoln. Grandpa loved blueberries, so Mom made this very special blueberry layer cake. Layer cakes, especially with whipped cream topping, can be fragile. After dinner when it was time for dessert, John was carrying the cake to the table when suddenly the top layer slide off. I seem to recall that the cake was salvaged, and it was messy but delicious. This photo is not from this famous blueberry layer cake birthday, but it captures Grandpa.

Today is Grandpa's birthday. It has been not quite five years since Grandma and Grandpa passed away. I miss them, but I have wonderful memories of them, especially this delicious birthday cake. While Grandma was famous for her sweet tooth (which I have inherited) and would be happy with anything sweet, Grandpa loved cake. But not just any cake. Grandpa did not like and refused to eat chocolate cake; he always said devil's food cake was for the devil. So this cake is made with a classic yellow cake. I personally think it would also be tasty as a chocolate cake. But in honor of Grandpa, this cake is not chocolate.

After making and taste-testing this cake, I can report that this cake is as delicious as I remember. Even though the top layer did not slide off this time, the cake was still a bit messy. The cake itself is a standard yellow cake; you can follow the directions below or just use a box mix. The frosting is whipped cream and the blueberry filling is store-bought blueberry pie filling. You can make your own blueberry filling, but Mom used store-bought pie filling and so did I.

Grandpa's Birthday Cake


Yellow Cake

• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add milk, butter, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes until well combined. Add eggs and beat for 2 more minutes. Pour into 2 well greased and floured 8-inch round pans until pans are half-full. If you have leftover batter, make a few cupcakes or use another pan. Bake in an oven heated to 350 for 25 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to completely cool before removing from the pan.

Whipped Cream Frosting

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use

To assemble the cake, place the first layer on a plate and cover completely with whipped cream frosting. Before placing the second layer on top, cut out a circle from the top layer to create a ring of cake. Place the second layer on top of the first layer and cover completely with whipped cream. There will be a well in the center of the cake. Smooth the whipped cream frosting. Fill the well with the blueberry pie filling. 

Jambalaya

Recently, when going through recipes with Mom, we came across this recipe. Mom said she made this jambalaya all the time. To be honest, I did not recall this recipe until I tasted it. It is funny how certain taste memories stay with us.

Mom's jambalaya is not exactly traditional jambalaya. I suspect Louisiana natives would not even consider this dish a true jambalaya. But my understanding is that "jambalaya" means "mishmash," so I guess just about anything goes. There are many variations on jambalaya, and this recipe is Mom's.

The recipe is simple and flexible. It is easy to add additional ingredients or leave out ones that you do not want. For this batch, I used only crab and no shrimp. Also, I had plum tomatoes on hand, so I used 5 because they were on the smaller side. I used dried parsley because that is what I had on hand; but I bet fresh parsley would be delicious. Mom's recipe called for Accent seasoning, but I substituted Lawry's seasoning salt.

Jambalaya

• 2 small onions, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• Parsley
• 1 to 2 heads garlic, minced
• 3 tomatoes, cubed
• Seasoning (Lawry's, Accent, etc.)
• Parsley, to taste
• 2 cans crab meat or shrimp
• 3 cups cooked rice

Saute onions in the butter until tender. Blend in the flour. Season with parsley and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add seasoning and tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add crab and/or shrimp. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cooked rice. Enjoy!

When I say jambalaya, I say it just like Newman.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

If you are looking for a super easy cookie to make, look no further. The Mexican wedding cookie is easy to make and easy to eat. I have seen variations of these cookies with nuts or with other flavors. But Mom always made these basic cookies as is.

Mom made these cookies often when we were young. I vaguely remember bringing these to school for a bake sale or class treat. These cookies can be for a special occasion or just an average day. Recently, I made the cookies for a Saturday at Mom's when she had the grandkids over for dinner, and the cookies were a hit for dessert.

Mexican Wedding Cookies 

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups flour

Cream the butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Stir in flour until well-blended. Chill for about 30 minutes until dough is firm enough to handle. Shape into one-inch balls. Place one inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 365 for 12 to 15 minutes. While warm, dust cookies with powdered sugar. Cool thoroughly. Enjoy.