I find being in the kitchen enjoyable, including the comfort of cooking up tasty traditions.
I especially cherish sweet culinary moments related to holiday baking, particularly each Easter when making a special cake is a family tradition.
“During our time in the kitchen, family recipes have been passed down — including each Easter, when we bake pound cakes in the shape of lambs. But our times together mean much more than that. We bond in the kitchen. Our kitchen time is for talking about our lives. Events and experiences are shared and wisdom imparted. We talk about family. We talk about faith. We have seen the Lord there with us,” as I write in my book.
My family’s lamb cake is an Easter staple. We use my great-grandma’s pound cake recipe and adorn it with frosting and other festive finishes:
*Makes one Bundt cake, two loaves, or two lamb cake molds
1 lb. butter (4 sticks), softened
2 c. sugar
8 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt (add only if using unsalted butter)
3 c. flour (just shy of, do not be exact)
1 tsp. baking powder
Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder (and salt, if needed) with a wire whisk. Add the eggs (one or two at a time) to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla, then gradually blend in the flour mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Mix well after the final flour has been added. Pour batter into greased pan(s). Bake approximately 40 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Decorate, and enjoy!
Happy Easter!