Yummm, chocolate cake, carmel icing and useful kitchen tool

YAA! I can still bake. (Unlike my last baking I did and I burnt the cookies) I baked a chocolate cake and iced it with Carmel icing.
One like my mother taught me how to make. But for years and years nobody could master the icing.

A number of years ago actually about 30+ years ago, I tried the cake recipe again. Mom was already gone to heaven so I couldn't ask her anything. My cake was flat, and I called my younger sister and was telling her, "My cake is good, but it's not nearly as thick as Mom's used to be," She stopped me before I could keep on bemoaning my flat cake and ask, "What did you measure the ingredients with?" Well, a measuring cup---it asked for 2 cups of sugar, etc....." "Wait" she declared, "Mom NEVER USED A MEASURING CUP", In fact we don't think she even owned one. She always used our coffee mugs when she did baking. "Throw out your measuring cup and use a coffee mug." is what my sister told me to do.


Friday evening when my sister-in-law called to let me know that they wanted to get together for lunch today, since my brother and wife from Indiana were here for a visit. She told me my brothers would love to have a cake like Mom's to go with the homemade ice cream and strawberries.

Below are the results of my cake.



See the icing is all but running over the edges....when I went to cut this cake, The icing was falling off around the edges so I put it on the tin foil that I had used to cover it.... OH, how I wished I had a camera at the time....two of my brothers all but fought for that icing. And the third one said, "Oh, I didn't get any".

Then one ask "Where are the low spots? When Mom iced her cake she always filled in the low spots with icing. That's the part I want."
Guess it has been a while since they had this cake. And from the looks of the above, With only 7 people eating cake, we made a dent in it.(We actually ate within one piece of 1/2 of this cake) And yes, the icing is rich, and sweet, but oh so Yummy!

From start to finish on the icing it took me over 2 1/2 hours since it has to be cooked very slow so that it will not burn.


This handy kitchen tool is the best when I go to making the icing. I searched for years for one since I didn't get Mom's. Also searched a long time for a pan like the one below, so that I could cook the icing in, nice and slow and not burn it.
But pans like this get very hot, so I was indeed grateful when I found this helper (Just like Mom's) at a garage sale one day. I believe I got it for a quarter. Little did the lady who sold it know that I would have paid up to $10 for this pan holder. It allows me to remove the very hot pan from the stove and hold it in the kitchen sink on water to cool the icing so it can be spread on the cake.




I did leave some cake for Abe and ZoAnn, Levi and Anna to enjoy later this evening with more strawberries. Clara said she was glad he got cake today, now perhaps she wouldn't have to make him one for his birthday. Dan didn't take any cake home, but years ago he had a birthday gift given to him with a promise if he brought me his pan, I would bake him a cake anytime he wanted it as long as I was able to do so.
So, wonder how soon it will be before he brings me another empty pan?

Tonight I took a couple pieces to church with me for my adopted Mother/Father at church. And the balance of the cake will go to work with me tomorrow. The pan will be empty in no time flat. If I want another piece I'd best be to leaving it on my desk or I won't get any. It will probably be lunch tomorrow since I have a 1:45 p.m. doctor appointment. (Please keep me in your prayers, I hate doctors appointments!).