Lazy Amy Cake

My Mother was reminiscing about a Lazy-Dazy cake she enjoyed in her youth, and I found a few versions. This was the closest to her memory, from my Southern Heritage Cakes Cookbook. This is one of my favorite books from my collection, as many of the luscious recipes have background information. While it has a copyright of 1983, the recipes are pulled from Junior Leagues and State Fair recipes from the past across the South.

Lazy-Dazy Cake

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk, scalded (I had to look this up in a cooking reference book. It means heat until small bubbles appear around the outside, but not boiling.)

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

1/4 cup half and half (I used Skim Milk, hence my calling it Lazy Amy Cake)

1/2 cup flaked coconut (I used less as my son kept eating it) (and possibly me)

1/2 cup chopped pecans (I used full halves and decorated, sort of)

Beat eggs: gradually add sugar, beating well. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to egg mixture, beating mixture well. Combine milk and butter, stirring to melt butter: add to flour mixture, beating well. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately pour topping over cake in pan: broil 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into squares to serve.

**Now, I do not know how to switch from the oven function to the broiler in my appliance, as I do not have a lower broiler. I simply put the cake in for a few more minutes at the same 350.

This was absolutely delicious. However, you may notice a slight sip in the middle. I forgot yet again to move the oven rack down and also I opened the oven door five minutes before it was done. Nevertheless, I had two pieces (small) when it was done, as did my family.

I read and reviewed Meg Cabot's How to Be Popular for Teenreads.com. It was about a girl who follows the advice of a 50's style popularity guidebook. Obviously I loved this.