EXTRA EXTRA: Emma Rae's recipes

When I wrote the four books of the Baker/Bride series, I used my mom as a resource for Emma Rae’s delectable recipes. Every one of Emma’s recipes came from the collection left to me by my mother when she died...a legacy I still find amusing since I can easily screw up things like scrambled eggs and Jell-O.

Mom was somewhat sporadic about noting where she’d gotten the recipes and, since some of them were clearly cut out of newspapers or magazines, I tried to only use those that she developed on her own, got from a friend, or that was passed throughout her side of the family.

One of those I didn’t use in the books was an exquisite Italian Wedding Cake that I can remember vividly from my childhood. Since Mom was Serbian and Dad's descent was Irish, I’m guessing an Italian recipe didn’t come from family members...but on those birthdays when she made it for me, I remember everyone sighing with each bite. As an adult, I found an Italian Wedding Cake BAR made by the wonderful folks at Publix Bakery, so I couldn’t help myself; I had to try it! I can tell you that, even though a lot of years came in between, their version also had that ahhhhhh factor.

So this being the week on my blog that I do something “extra,” I thought you might like to have this wonderful recipe from the treasured files of Jessie Kovacevich Bricker.

I found this photo on the internet, and it looks like what I remember Mom's cake to look like. Swoon-worthy, yes?

For all you foodies (and cakies) like me...Enjoy!







ITALIAN WEDDING CAKE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup oleo (1 stick)
2 cups white sugar
5 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
5 egg whites
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare three 8-inch cake pans.
Combine the buttermilk, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream the shortening, oleo and sugar until fluffy.
Mix in the egg yolks, one at a time.
Add vanilla and almond extracts.
Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture in slow intervals.
In separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, and gently fold into the batter.
Stir in the coconut and half of the pecans (saving the other half to decorate the outside of the cake after it’s frosted)
Pour the batter evenly into the pans.

Bake for 35 minutes.
Set on wire racks to cool.

FROSTING

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar until creamy.
Stir in vanilla and pecans.

Note: If frosting doesn’t easily spread, stir in a dollop of milk.