Remembering Angel Food Cake

Jake loves angel food cake and I've been meaning to make one for him for quite awhile. Yesterday was the day, and above are the results. Honestly, it was made from a mix I picked up at Williams-Sonoma so the process was not so much the pleasure as was making a longed for treat for my son. I whipped it up, baked it and left it on a rack upside down to cool. I won a cake walk at the Tolono Fourth of July Celebration once. It was angel food.....and ALL mine. Sure I shared, but it was ALL mine. I love cake walks.

When I began to remove it from the pan and the distinct aroma only an angel food has tickled my nose, I started thinking of Aunt Maxine. Everyone called her Mac, and she was married to my maternal grandfather's brother. Ding, I think his given name was Dwayne was the barber in town and when we visited his shop, he'd always slip us a treat. I remember Aunt Mac coming to visit one day. She had her big patent leather purse in tow, and from it pulled fives for my brother and I. The gift came with the admonishment not tell our grandparents, making the gift so much more delicious.

Back to cake. Aunt Mac was notorious for baking angel food cakes for birthdays. Living in a small central Illinois town, back when everyone knew everyone, it's practical to think that much of town benefited from her baking. I can still remember her arriving at my grandma's with an angel food, drenched in pink icing with lots of color bleeding sprinkles. Squishy and sweet, it was delicious. A thoughtful, simple gift made with love.

I always savor food memories and make a quick box cake something extra special.