Have you ever had a family member that you’ve never met but feel a weird connection, a kinship to? I’d like to share with you a little bit about my connection and, as a reward, I’ll share one of her amazing recipes at the end.
I remember as a young child coming across a picture of my grandma’s and being utterly stunned. I took it to her and asked who that was because “I know her.” She chuckled and said “That’s not possible honey, that’s my mom and she was gone a long time before you were born. She was gone before your Dad was born.” Even as a child, I knew it all and I remember telling her she was wrong – I knew her. How I knew her I didn’t know, but looking in those eyes I just KNEW that I knew her. Yes, I know that’s crazy but the truth is that I’ve always felt that deep connection to my great grandmother that did, indeed, die many decades before I was born.
Emma Hamm Holt (yes, of the Hamm’s Beer family – that was her Uncle) was born in 1870 (we almost share a birthday – mine is 6 days after hers) and came from a large family. My grandma, Helen, was her third child (oldest girl) of ten children. They started their lives in Illinois, lived during the Dust Bowl in Kansas, Colorado for awhile and eventually ended up in Idaho where she would pass away in 1938. My great grandfather (whom it is said died of a broken heart) only lived about a year without his sweetheart.
Upon their passing, disposition of their belongings fell, for the most part, on my grandma’s shoulders. I always remember this big beautiful trunk in my grandma’s bedroom that contained all sorts of treasures – pictures, quilt pieces, patches from a Civil War uniform, jewelry, letters...all sorts of wonderful surprises. Two of my favorite things were the bodice from Emma’s wedding dress (she had a waist that was probably 18”, if that!) and a composition book.
The composition book is a treasure beyond measure to me. It is a hand-written book of recipes and helpful hints that Emma wrote. It is around 100 years old, written all in her own hand and is tucked safely away in my home now. The pages are old, worn, cracked around the edges and the ink is smeared in spots and the pages written in pencil have faded over the years. Also in that book are the remnants of an older book, written in different handwriting and written with a quill and ink from an inkwell. We believe it was written by Emma’s mom, Amanda, who passed away 4 months before my grandma’s birth in 1902. My best guess is that the smaller book was a wedding gift from Amanda to Emma for her wedding in 1895 – making it 125 years old.
In honor of World Coconut Day, I wanted to make Emma’s Coconut Cake. I carefully took the book from it’s safe place and found the recipe I needed. I also had both of my kids come look at it too because, honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever shared it with them. (I need to get each page laminated to preserve it better.) It was fun sharing it with them and reading some of the recipes. They got quite a laugh over how to use Cocaine to cure Shingles! It was a special moment to be able to share that with them and to see how much they appreciated how important it was to me.
The world right now is crazy and we need to take those opportunities to share special moments with our kids when we get the chance to. They need it, but so do we. If we don’t share these treasures, stories and memories with them they’ll never know.
Thank you for hanging with me as I shared a little about this special lady. Please enjoy her recipe and share it (and a story) with someone you love. Remember, this IS a homemade cake so it’s going to be a little heavier and denser than one made from a box. Enjoy!
Emma’s Coconut Cake
(Cake)
1 ½ C. Sugar
2/3 C. Butter, softened
1 C. Milk
3 Egg Whites, beaten until stiff peaks form
2 tsp. Baking Powder
3 C. Flour
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, cream Sugar & Butter together. Stir in Milk. Gently fold in beaten Egg Whites. Add Baking Powder & Flour. Mix well.
Split batter evenly between 3 round (8” or 9”) cake pans that have been greased and floured or sprayed with non-stick spray. Gently tap on counter to remove air bubbles.
Bake for 22-24 minutes. As soon as cakes come out, remove from pans and place on cooling rack.
(Frosting)
2 Egg Whites
½ C. Sugar
3 T. Water
Coconut
Beat your Egg Whites until stiff peaks form (I do this in the saucepan I’m going to use). Turn burner under saucepan to medium. Stir in Sugar and Water. Reduce heat to low and set a time for 7 minutes.
While frosting is cooking on stovetop, beat constantly. I used my electric mixer on high and still had some sticking to the pan – just do your best. Remove from heat when timer goes off. Frosting will be somewhere between the consistency of Marshmallow Creme and Whipped Cream.
To assemble cake, place 1 layer on serving dish. Spread with frosting and sprinkle coconut on top. Place 2nd layer on top of bottom layer. Spread with frosting and sprinkle coconut on top. Place 3rd layer on top of 2nd layer and, again, spread with frosting and sprinkle with coconut. The amount of coconut you use is entirely up to you and your tastes. Use remaining frosting down sides of cake.
You should have shared a photo of the actual recipe, even though it would be hard to see clearly
ReplyDelete, it might have been cool to see how you had to adjust some measurements such as the 12 teaspoons of sugar. They might not have had an actual measuring cup and made due with what they had.
The second picture of the pages from the book has the recipe on it. If you click it, it will open a larger version of it and the recipe is on the top left. It’s hard to read but it’s there
DeleteI've always said" it matters because they mattered"
ReplyDeleteBeautiful tribute to Emma
BTW that picture if her is was done by artist!