Sweets and a great read from the Old South.

Savannah Series, Vol. 2

Newlyweds Walter and Maria move to a house in the country. When Maria becomes pregnant, “Old Grammy” moves in with the young couple to “help out.” Maria begins to collect animals, a goat, a flock of geese that terrorize all visitors. Walter wants to add a pony to the mix for the coming baby, Alma. World War II interrupts their young lives and soon all the young men of Savannah have left for foreign service. Walter and Maria wait to learn what the future will hold.

Maria's Black Walnut Cake

Maria never substituted margarine for real butter, and used to make her own vanilla extract, by putting a pod of fresh vanilla beans into a pint of peach brandy and storing it on the kitchen shelf. 

Ingredients

1 h 55 m12592

• Walgreens
• 640 Sunburst Hwy
• CAMBRIDGE, MD 21613

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped black walnuts

Directions

• Prep
  25 m
• Cook
  1 h 30 m
• Ready In
  1 h 55 m

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing just until the yellow disappears. Combine the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Stir in the vanilla and walnuts, and pour into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in a 9x12 sheet pan, or a  bundt pan, for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the crown comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before turning out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.
On holidays, Maria would mix warmed 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 stick butter, 1 tsp vanilla, with confectioners sugar, to make a thin icing and drizzle the top of the cake. This makes a rich, firm cake that keeps or freezes well.