In honor of my Daney boy–who’s away in Texas for the summer…we made CAKE!
And the only thing missing from this picture is a big, old, scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Maybe later.
Right now…I just have to eat this piece…like right now…before anyone catches me.
Cake Ingredients:
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups *all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup water
6 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*I actually used whole wheat flour and 1 Tablespoon of Dough Enhancer. Nobody even knew. It was fabulous.
Frosting Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
6 tablespoons of milk
4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a jellyroll pan with butter or non-stick spray. In a measuring cup, measure out 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Add 2 eggs and beat until well blended; set aside. Whisk together in a large bowl, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Make a well in the center and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the 2 sticks of butter, the 2 tablespoons oil and 1 cup of water and bring to a near boil. Remove pot from the heat and whisk in 6 tablespoons of cocoa, until smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and add this mixture to the sugar and flour mixture; stir until well blended. Slowly add in the buttermilk and egg mixture and stir well.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees until the center is set, about 20 to 25 minutes.
When cake is about 5 minutes from being done, prepare the frosting. Do not do the frosting ahead of time because it will quickly stiffen. Heat the stick of butter and 6 tablespoons of milk in a saucepan just until it comes to a boil. It will need to be very hot. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Mixture will thicken. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and quickly beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. If mixture thickens too quickly just warm it on the stove again. Immediately pour the frosting all over the cake. Use a spatula to gently push the frosting out to the edges and to cover the cake evenly. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.
Oh. My. Goodness.
Our Memorial Day~
was what it has been…
since we moved to Utah 34 years ago.
In California, where I grew up, I honestly had no idea that the day existed because we were first generation Californians–
she showed us the way that she had grown up celebrating this very special day.
My mama would get up early and cut her beloved iris and peonies and put them in buckets of water so they’d open just right.
She always had a small arrangement for her baby brother too.
My children grew up loving Memorial Day– as a day full of baskets and green grass and kisses and cousins and flags and wet feet and laughing. But it was mostly a beautiful bright summer day with Grandma and Grandpa and lots and lots of flowers. 
Now, all these years later–it still is.
