As Mother’s Day approaches and I think of the mothers in my life, I reflect on not just my own mother and grandmothers but also people who have mothered me in some way at some time. Whether they have biological children of their own or not, at one point or another they have taken care of me, hugged me, encouraged me, and kept me going. And I think of Mother Earth herself—the way she nurtures us with her warm sun and her bounty of fruits and vegetables and how she comforts us with the gentle rolling of the ocean’s waves and majestic views of mountains reaching for the sky.
In so many ways, I had these loving women at the forefront of my mind as I wrote Gumbo Love. In the cookbook, I honor my grandmothers and their cooking prowess, my mother who may have been known more for her hospitality than good cooking, and also my sister, my daughters, and all my friends who have mothered me with food, love, and strength. I also revel in the simple goodness of Mother Earth’s creations that she shares with us—homegrown tomatoes, sweet corn, strawberries, and of course all the seafood my family cherishes.
There’s no way I could pick just one recipe from the book that represents all these mothers and shows my gratitude to them, but one that does stand out is Peets Buffett’s Lazy V Chocolate Fudge Cake. Even though my mother wasn’t known for her cooking, this one was a delicious standard she made for her parties on the pier.
From Gumbo Love…
The methods and ingredients she used are unconventional and not at all the way I might approach this type of cake, but it worked. Is it any surprise that the daughter would do it differently than her mother? And yet, I am finding lately that there are so many things I do as she did—I seem to become more and more like her. I’d give a million dollars to have another cup of coffee with her. To this day, there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason why this cake is called Lazy V, and that’s just one of the many things I wish I could ask her.
Peets Buffett’s Lazy V Chocolate Fudge Cake
Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
6 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecan pieces
To make the cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 15-inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray.
2. Combine the butter, cocoa powder, and water in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the butter has melted and the ingredients are well combined. Remove from the heat.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Add the hot butter mixture to the dry ingredients and beat until smooth.
5. In a small bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add a little of the warm chocolate batter to the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Mix until well combined.
6. Slowly add the egg mixture to the chocolate batter and beat until smooth.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Frost the cake while it’s still hot.
To make the frosting:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream, and cocoa powder and heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the butter has melted and the ingredients are well combined. Remove from the heat.
2. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth.
3. Stir in the vanilla and pecans.
4. Pour the hot frosting over the hot cake and spread it to the edges of the cake.
Note: You can actually freeze this cake in the pan. It will last in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
