Our First Lane Cake Entry!

It was my sister in law, 
Pat's turn to choose the cake
for this year's
Davidson Cake Bake Off.
Remember, this is not really
a  competition.
For the past several years
a cake has been chosen by one of us,
then my sister Nancy, brother Rick,
sister in law Pat and me
bake the cake, 
using a recipe of our choice.
(We all live miles apart,
so this has been a fun way
to "do something together.")
We then share our thoughts and pictures.

Pat's choice, 

The Lane Cake,

was first baked more than 100 years ago 

for the annual baking competition

at the county fair in Columbus, Georgia

by Emma Rylander Lane

of Clayton, Alabama.

It was the first prize winner!

Pat baked her choice,
one with a strawberry-pecan filling
and cream cheese frosting,
using a recipe from
TASTE OF THE SOUTH MAGAZINE.
It was a birthday cake for her husband, my brother Wade.

In Pat's words,

"The filling for this cake was a challenge,

but this was the first time

I had attempted making a filling.

I don't think I got it quite right,

it ran out the sides

when I was assembling the cake.

Overall, I think it turned

out pretty well.

It tasted good!"

Looks good to me Pat!

Come bake with us.

Bake your version of

The Lane Cake

and then share your

pictures, recipe and thoughts with me.

I, in turn, will share on my blog!

Bon appétit!

The Gauntlet has been Thrown Down!

It has been a while,

but yes I am still here.

I have been busy with...

....life.

You know how that is, right?

Do you remember the 

Family Bake Off

I have had with my siblings for

the past few years?

It's that time again!

Since my brother Rick 

and sister Nancy

picked our previous two cakes,

this year the choice is mine.

Notice the picture, it's a hint.

Any idea of the cake

we'll be baking this year?

The Hummingbird Cake.

Since we all live a distance apart,

we can't do a taste test.

So our bake off consists of

pictures and stories about our cakes.

This year I am inviting you to  join

our Bake Off.

Have you ever made this cake?

Have a favorite recipe for this cake?

Want to try your hand at this cake?

There are a ton

of different recipes out there.

I have chosen the one I will be baking.

So, put on your apron,

bake your version of this cake

and send me your pictures

and experiences with it.

I will share any that are sent my way.

Yum!

By the way, this is a really
informal "competition."
We don't have a timeline,
but should probably aim for 
the end of the summer
to be completely finished.

Pictures from Google Images

Update on the Zucchini Cake Bake Off

Update on my family's 

Zucchini Cake Bake Off

I had thrown out a challenge to my older brother, Bill

to make this cake too, since all the other

siblings in the family had given it a try.

Bill is NOT a cook,

so the challenge was actually

an inside joke to my sister Nancy and 

brother Rick.

Well, he still isn't baking,

but his sweet wife Pat

has come through for him!

You can see her cake above.

According to Pat via a Facebook post,

"Susan, Bill didn't bake it but he sure is eating his share of it!!"

Yea Pat!

Bill and Pat.

My Family's Zucchini Cake Bake Off

It all started with an excess of zucchini.

Last time I visited my parents and Nancy,

their garden was producing zucchini big time.

Nancy loaded me up with it when I returned home.

Since then I have been baking

Zucchini Bread

and now have 16 loaves in my freezer.

(Don't ask why.)

Nancy, on the other hand found a recipe for a wonderful sounding

Zucchini Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.

It was a hit...

...and was declared "a winner" by my Dad.

You'd have to know him to know

what high praise that is.

At any rate, Nancy's cake was enough to inspire our

brother Rick, who lives in Germany and is

quite the cook to give the cake a try.

His cake was a success too!

Well, that was more than I could stand.

I needed to make this cake too!

(I cannot let my little sister and little brother

get ahead of me in the cooking department...)

YUM!!!

I served it yesterday to my knitting group 

who were meeting here.

I didn't hear any complaints.

(You can find the original recipe here.)

So, I am laying down the gauntlet to my other brother Bill,

SHOW US WHAT YOU'VE GOT!