"When
you went by her house, you could have a slice of cake or a piece of pie."
"Oh,
fried pies. That was a big delicacy....an' apple pies....that went to the Dinner
on the Grounds too."
"And
she used to make fried pies...She would stack 'em up. We had a whole shelf in
the little cabinet for things like that."
"Pound
cakes are a work of patience. It takes about twenty-five minutes just to mix
up a pound cake an' then it takes an hour and a half to bake one. So, when you
take a pound cake to a family who lost a loved one, it's truly a labor of love
an' it's a big moist cake that serves about twenty-five people. The taste is
different; they know you made it for them an' it is a way for you to minister
to them.
Aside from biscuits, cornbread, and teacakes,
southern food is also known for an army of homemade cakes, pies, and other
desserts. Almost every southern cook has a special baked good that she or
he prepares.
Like other baked goods, cakes and pies were
made entirely from scratch, often with ingredients raised or produced by the
family. Women used hand-picked fruit, canned preserves, or home grown sweet
potatoes in pies. Fried pies were also considered a southern delicacy, and
like teacakes, they were made in bulk and stored as treats. Many cooks prepared
banana pudding, sometimes with the recipe on the back of the vanilla wafer
box. A wide variety of cakes graced the tables at the church "Dinner
on the Grounds," testaments of the community's baking skills.
Baked
Banana Pudding
Red
Velvet Cake
