Cake Season

Baking time

Dear Bread Fans,

Mysteriously, we have arrived again at spring. The thick, dark arms of trees are lacy with whispers of leaves. Daffodils have had their splendid and perfumed moment, tulips are going strong, and my eldest is now 26 years old!

Happy birthday, Francis Eddy Magai!

I can still remember the day before you were born and your father mowing the lawn in silly patterns. I was washing dishes, and couldn’t begin to imagine what being a mother would be like. I had no idea that the process was so expansive, and that I would learn so much from you.

It’s easy to think of parenting as limiting, but on this side of the relationship, I think I’ve been accordioned open. The hands of time and togetherness pulled us open and changed us all.

Francis really taught me about plants. Sure, my husband’s interest in gardening and career in tree care influenced our household, but Francis’ native curiosity and connection to plants changed how I looked at the world. I don’t think I would’ve written a book about grain farming without his questions steering mine!

For his birthday, I made a cornmeal cake with hazelnuts and yogurt. I used Early Riser cornmeal from Rusted Rooster, and found some serviceberry jam from last year and made whipped cream with a little pomegranate molasses.

I’ve never made this cake before, and the improvisation felt different than his usual birthday cakes. It reminded me of when I was living alone in Seattle, and I baked cakes for friends, trying hard to capture the person and how I felt about them — to make a bridge with ingredients and feelings.

Fran loves fruit and he taught me that serviceberries are delicious and spill from the trees. I added lemon zest and rose water, dressed up the whipped cream: this cake was very much him, an exuberant exploration!

The next time we celebrate his birthday, when his brother gets home from college, we will make the cakes that echo other celebrations: a double butter cake from a recipe I mistakenly doubled the butter on once, and Nian gao, a rice cake that’s popular for Lunar New Year, and became a birthday cake in our house.

Each time I bake a cake I am baking time. I am baking all my experiences into flour and butter. Often, I’m baking a memory of other cakes, and baking that particular moment of celebration. It’s magical how you can be in the past, present and future with food.

I hope you are enjoying all the moments you can,

Amy