Celebrating the simple things

This week's Cake Day was extra-special. My boyfriend, Randy, moved to New Jersey in April for a post doctoral position at Princeton. We haven't seen each other in almost 5 months. But thanks to Delta SkyMiles, I finally made it up here to see his new apartment, his new campus, his new life.

He is in need of some home-baked goods, and since this project is becoming an important part of my life, I wanted him to be included, so it only made sense to celebrate Cake Day with Randy. This week's recipe is for The White Cake, a cake made by Dr. Robinson's mother-in-law for nearly all important celebrations. The recipe is simple, and even states you can mix the cake batter by hand (my kind of cooking!). I baked the cakes while Randy was at work, which was an adventure in what he calls his "RV kitchen" (it's tiny), with even fewer tools at my disposal than usual (I brought my own cake pans and cooling rack). If I can get a cake out of here, I can get a cake out of anywhere. We frosted together after lunch (well, ok, I frosted and Randy took pictures... and added his own flair with some sprinkles), but patiently waited to savor our beautiful creation until after a run, dinner, and the last Harry Potter movie (we may have been the last people in the world who hadn't seen it). The first bite was an exciting moment, and well worth the wait. The cake itself is moist and almost satiny, and the frosting will satisfy even the most ravenous sweet tooth. It's simple, classic, and pure deliciousness.


Reading this cake's chapter, I find the timing of this Cake Day was particularly fitting. The Robinson family made this cake the week of Hurricane Katrina, and although not nearly as devastating as Katrina, Hurricane Irene blew through the East Coast earlier this week, and many areas, including the Princeton area, are still recovering from the flooding. Their Cake Day doubled as a celebration of Dr. R's in-laws' 63rd wedding anniversary. While nowhere near as impressive as a 63rd wedding anniversary, we are celebrating the slightly belated 3-year anniversary of our own relationship. But for us, it's the pure simplicity of this cake that I find most fitting. We have no big plans, no fancy outings planned for my time here. We are just enjoying our time together, playing it by ear, being us. Good local food, the beach, movies, running, and whatever else we're inspired to do that lets us enjoy each others company in a way Skype, AIM, and cell phones can't. And pretending we're movie critics and groaning about our sore calves late at night over slices of sweet cake is a perfect way to celebrate us.