When I was a little girl, I always loved going to my Uncle Dutton and Aunt Judy’s house in Ocala. I remember the hospitality and excitement that came with our visits. Her kitchen counters would be lined with the most scrumptious dishes. We typically visited on the BIG holidays, when my mom’s brother’s families would gather. If you know anything about my mom, you know she is not a cook. Having holidays with the Long’s provided great opportunities, for our family to try dishes made from real recipes. In other words, my mom cooked the same mundane meals---- a fried meat, a starch, and 1 vegetable. When we visited with the Longs, we also became “cultured”. I remember one Thanksgiving eating the most amazing cake I had ever tasted. My mom’s cakes, if she baked one, came out of a box. I asked Aunt Judy for the recipe. After that Thanksgiving, I entered the cake in the Suwannee River Fair and received a blue ribbon (the only Home Eco blue I received). This cake also serves as my faithful standby. At any given time, I have the ingredients needed to make the cake. Very seldom, do I have leftovers. But if I do –they just get better with age. Over thirty years later, it is still by far, my favorite cake.
Aunt Judy has always been an inspiration to me. She was a success educator, fantastic mother to 5 children, and divine cook. As a child, I loved to visit her home. She never seemed to mind our wild country family barging into her home. She encouraged Angela and me to play the piano while she listened. She would make it a point to talk individually with each of us and discuss our life happenings. She always had the fluffiest towels and coldest drinks for us when we got out of the pool. Needless to say, Aunt Judy taught me the essence of being a great hostess.
Aunt Judy’s Fudge Cake
1 cup water
½ cup oil
1 stick butter
¼ cup cocoa
Heat to boiling on the stove
In a mixing bowl, mix together
2 cups all purpose flour (or cake)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
Add heated mixture. Then mix the following
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup sour milk (or buttermilk)
Bake 350 degrees in a greased 9 X 13 pan for 40 minutes.
Icing
Heat to boiling
1 stick butter
¼ cup cocoa
6 tablespoons milk
Turn Off heat add
1 box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Chopped nuts
Pour icing over hot cake and enjoy
