Creative chaos has always been my way. I prefer cooking to baking, writing to chemistry, photography to math—the less exact, find-my-own-way stuff for me, please. I guess my mother could tell that I was leaning that way ever since childhood. She wouldn’t let me near the kitchen unless it was to make sweet tea or green salad. She didn’t want to spend twice as long cleaning up after me, so she did the cooking herself. Husband, three teenagers and their own electrical business by the time I came along, I can’t say that I blame her.

My MeeMaw, on the other hand, gave in just as grandmothers tend to do. My curiosity about the kitchen was being stifled and she took pity on me. I think our very first attempt was a bundt cake; I was around 7 years old. She pulled out the measuring tools and ingredients and held the box up for me to read.

Plethora of instruments spread out on her pink countertop, she explained that she was taught to measure the dry ingredients with the cups that had handles, and to measure the wet ingredients in the glass with markings up the side.

She pulled out the decorative bundt pan and I marveled at the fancy curves and the hole in the middle.

We began pouring ingredients in the large, glass mixing bowl as it sat underneath the beaters, and I thought to myself how much more I’d enjoy licking those beaters when it was my cake batter that dripped from the metal. Mom always let me lick the spoon and mixing bowl after brownies entered the oven, but my very own cake would be even more delicious.

MeeMaw flitted about the kitchen as I took the measurement glass over to the sink. “One-fourth cup of water,” I said to myself as I cocked my head to read the numbers.

I climbed up the bar stool and poured the water into the flour mixture. I sat up and reached for the vegetable oil. “One and one-fourth cup of oil,” I poured the thick, yellow liquid into the glass and watched it rise to the 1 ¼ marking.

The glass hovered over the mixing bowl as the oil dripped down and rested on top of the flour.

MeeMaw handled the eggs, a wise choice, and I leaned over the counter as they fell into place. She turned on the mixer and I watched the side of the glass bowl as it spur ‘round and ‘round.

She let me help scrape the flour from the sides and sent it for another few spins. Then, she drizzled the batter into the greased bundt cake pan and into the oven it went, warm air blowing our hair back as the oven door opened and closed.

After what seemed like an eternity, the cake emerged and we waited for it to cool. MeeMaw kept eyeballing the pan, saying something about the cake didn’t seem to rise. I don’t remember seeing any bundt cakes before this, so looking down into the pan, it didn’t occur to me to see the problem that MeeMaw saw.

Once cooled, she flipped the pan, ever so expertly, and the cake emerged. I should say, the miniature cake emerged. We both leaned in to observe the beautifully shaped cake as it rested on the glass plate. Even I knew there was something wrong at this point.

It stood about three inches high, normal width and fancy curves intact.

MeeMaw asked me, “Are you sure you measured the ingredients right?”

I picked up the box and looked over the back again.

My mistake stood out to me, like glaring eyes against the red cake box background.

One-fourth cup oil, one and one-fourth cup water. Or that’s what it should have been, but I’d switched the two amounts and our bundt was almost oozing.

We smiled at each other and MeeMaw cut the cake. She said it was the most moist cake she’d ever tasted and we scraped fork against plate to savor all the tasty morsels.

Thank you, MeeMaw, for risking clogged arteries for your little, pastry chef.

Nutty Almond Bundt Cake

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1 2/3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup ground almonds

1 cup milk

2 tbsp. brown sugar

Icing

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup white sugar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground almonds. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with 1 cup milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and invert on a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes longer. Place rack on waxed paper. Combine 1/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and toasted sliced almonds; pour over warm cake.