March 2019 Entries

Every year, my mom has a St. Patrick’s Day party, as we are vaguely Irish. She invites all of our friends and family to an incredible feast where she cooks every Irish standard you can imagine. Then for dessert, in addition to bread pudding, she makes several of these cakes. I always loved the rich chocolatiness combined with the light, not-too-sweet frosting. This is now my first year living away from home, and 1000 miles between us are too many to allow me to return for my mom’s annual party. So, as a result, I made my own Guinness cake for the first time. It was a pleasure to assemble, particularly after adding the bicarb and watching my batter instantly grow in the pan. (Not sure if it’s supposed to do this, but I found it quite nice.) I brought the cake to work, where it was quickly devoured, many people going back for seconds. Making my own Guinness cake this year helped me to stay connected to my family at home, and made me think back fondly to of all of the wonderful St. Patrick’s Day parties my mom had thrown over the many years.