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Ruby's
Cakes...
a holiday tradition
As Mama (Ruby Knight
Lett) became queen of country cooking in
the Buckhorn community in Lee County, she believed that
the key to satisfying family and friends was to prepare
a wide variety of foods in her kitchen, which folks fondly
called Ruby's Restaurant. It certainly
seemed like a diner on Sundays when Mama would cook three
meats and about six vegetables and also find time to go
to Sunday School and Preachin'. It didn't matter who came
home with us from church 'cause there was plenty
of fixin's for everyone.
Let me tell you about
her desserts. At Christmas Mama used to make about
25 cakes and would cut them in quarters to give
as presents so people got four different kinds on one platter.
One time I was sampling all her cakes when she yelled, "Sandy
Lynn, if you eat one more piece, you'll pop," and I
responded, "pass the platter and stand back!"
Folks in the family, church, neighborhood, and other communities
were highly honored when they received
one of Mama's famous "Ruby Cakes," usually featuring
1/4 each of Apple Nut Cake, Carrot Cake, German Chocolate
Cake, and Red Velvet Cake.
Folks claimed that
the famous Ruby cake was the best thing in the whole
county, and each year the combination exceeded
their expectations. As Daddy (Bud Lett) would say, "Every
time I think these cakes can't get any better they always
do." The delicious desserts from Ruby's Restaurant
as well as her other delightful dishes offered proof that
Mama had combined skillful cooking with heart-filled
devotion to create extraordinary tastes. Here are
the recipes:
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| Apple
Nut Cake |
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3
eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups chopped apples
3 cups flour, either cake or all-purpose
1 cup nuts, preferably pecans or walnuts (to be
rolled in flour)
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
|
Cream
butter, sugar, eggs. Add rest of ingredients. Beat
thoroughly. Bake in round tube pans for about one
hour at 325 degrees. |
| Glaze
1
cup light brown sugar
1/2 stick margarine
2 Tbsps. evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
|
Cream
all ingredients until it spreads smoothly. Add chopped
nuts and mix some more. Cook for three minutes over
medium heat, stirring constantly. Cool slightly
and pour over cake. |
|
| Carrot
Cake
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. baking powder
2 tsps. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsps. cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans (to be rolled in flour)
3 cups grated carrots
Blend sugar
and oil. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Stir
dry ingredients and add to mixture. Blend in nuts
and carrots. Bake in three floured and greased pans
for 30-minutes at 350 degrees. |
 |
| Icing
1 box confectioners sugar
8-oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick margarine
2 cups chopped nuts
small amount of condensed milk if needed
|
Mix sugar,
cream cheese, and margarine until smooth. Add cocoa,
vanilla and chopped nuts. This may need a little
milk to spread well. Spread icing between each layer
and over the top. |
|
| German
Chocolate Cake
1
pack German Chocolata
1/2 cup boiling water
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites (stiffly beaten)
2 cups sugar
1 cup margarine
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. soda
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
|
Melt chocolate
in boiling water. Cool. Cream sugar, add egg yolks
one at a time and beat thoroughly. Add melted chocolate,
vanilla, butter. Mix dry ingredients. Beat until
smooth. Fold in egg whites.
Bake in three
floured and greased pans for 35 to 45 minutes at
325 degrees. |
| Icing
1
cup evaporated milk
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup white sugar
1/4 lb. margarine
1 1/2 cups nuts, preferably pecans
1 1/2 cups coconut |
Melt margarine
in saucepan. Mix together wet ingredients, then
stir in sugar. Cook over medium heat until it thickens.
Add coconut and pecans. Beat until thick enough
to spread.
After layers
have cooled spread this icing between each layer
and on top. |
|
| Red
Velvet Cake
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. soda
2 bottles red food coloring
3 cups all-purpose flour
|
Cream butter,
sugar, eggs. Add rest of ingredents. Beat thoroughly.
Bake in three floured and greased pans for 35 to 45
minutes at 325 degrees. |
| Icing
1 box confectioners sugar
2 tsps. vanilla
4 ounces margarine
2 Tbsps. condensed milk
|
1 cup nuts,
preferably pecans or walnuts
Cream all ingredients until it spreads smoothly.
Add chopped nuts and mix some more. After layers
have cooled spread this icing between each layer
and on top. |
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|
 AlexSandra
Lett
is
a
professional
speaker
and
the
author
of
Natural
Living,
From
Stress
to
Rest,
A
Timeless
Place,
Lett’s
Set
a
Spell
at
the
Country
Store,
Timeless
Moons,
Seasons
of
the
Fields
and
Matters
of
the
Heart,
and
Timeless
Recipes
and
Remedies,
Country
Cooking,
Customs,
and
Cures.
Her
next
book,
Coming
Home
to
My
Country
Heart,
Timeless
Stories
about
Life,
Death,
and
Healing,
will
be
released
in
March
2007.
She
can
be
reached
at
LettsSetaSpell@aol.com.
Her
Web
site
is
www.atimelessplace.com
 Southern
Books & Talks
1996 Buckhorn Road
Sanford, NC 27330
Phone: (919) 258-9299
www.atimelessplace.com
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