Memories of holiday cakes past

Chocolate Birthday Cake with Billowy Marshmallow Frosting

In preparing for this year’s holiday season, I have been reflecting on cakes I made in the recent past.  I thought of calling my debut post, “A la recherche des gateaux perdus”, but figured that might be too Proustianly pretentious (or pretentiously Proustian?) or just plain ‘ole silly .  Besides, David Lebovitz has the whole madeleine thing well covered already.

We all know that dessert is the most important course in any meal. OK, maybe it is not after breakfast…usually.  For any holiday, a noteworthy cake makes a memorable end to a memorable meal.  There really is a reason for lyrics such as “visions of sugar plums danced in their heads”.

For last year’s new year’s eve potluck, as I am wont to do, I went through piles of my cookbooks seeking inspiration for a suitable cake.  The inspiration was the enticing “Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pattie Cake” (from Sweet Stuff: Karen Barker’s American Desserts).  Here is the photo I took quickly, before heading over to the party, at our friends’ house three doors away, on new year’s eve:

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pattie Cake

More on holidays cakes of yore

Advertisement