June 26th, 2018

This was the last piece of cake leftover from Father's Day.  In case you are concerned that I will contract ptomaine or something from eating old cake, please relax.  I cut the cake into slices, wrapped each one individually and put them into the freezer the day after Father's Day.  It's all good.

The last piece should taste exactly the same as the first piece right?  Doesn't logic follow that since this slice is taken from the same source as the first slice it should be identical?  The fact that it was frozen the day after it was made indicates that this piece should be just as fresh and rich and gooey and wonderful as every other slice, right?  

The recipe is one of my favourites.  It was given to me eons ago by my very good friend Sandy who is, without question, the best baker I've ever known. Better even than my Nana and she was a force of baking nature.  Sandy had a teashop in the town we lived in back in Connecticut.  Every single day that the shop was open, she made a type of soup, a type of quiche and an assortment of baked goods. Each day offered different goodies and each day they were amazing.  People who  wouldn't normally frequent tea shops came regularly to hers specifically for the pleasure of her company and the quality of her food. So you know this recipe is not just good, it is amazing.  It deserves it's own category as it is not merely a chocolate cake, it is THE chocolate cake.  The chocolate cake that all others aspire to be.

The frosting recipe on the other hand came from my sister, Joy.  I'm not sure if she came up with this perfect balance of ingredients on her own or if she got it from someone else but it is a perfect frosting.  The colour, the flavor the creaminess, the spreadability is wonderful and works on every flavor of cake I've ever made.  Daughter-in-law Jessie uses it for her Whoopie Pies instead of the original filling recipe.  Yes, it's that good.

I always eat goodies slowly to savour each and every bite.  Tiny little shavings of forkfuls. I even eat the crumbs at the end.  Nothing gets wasted. I want this dessert to last.  I want it to colour my dreams that night.  If I eat it slowly enough, it takes a very long time to finish my slice and I can bring the memory of it back in excruciating detail for hours after.  I fancy my sweets but I don't allow myself to have them often anymore so having this last piece is a big deal.

I told Tim last night that I was probably going to eat the last piece.  I apologized too since I made the cake for him and by rights, he should have the last piece don't you think?  He told me to go right ahead and have that last piece and to enjoy it.  I felt guilty to be honest. I should have been the bigger person, the more generous person. It was his cake. I should have saved it for him.  But I didn't.  I am positive that he was sincere when he told me to enjoy it.  As much as he likes my chocolate cake, he is more of a savory guy than a sweets guy anyway.  Still, I made the cake specifically for him and I had every intention of saving that last piece.  

And yet, I did not.  I could hear it calling to me from the freezer.  "Sam"  it said.  "Sam, there is one last piece of cake in here"  "I'm not listening to you"  I said in response.  "Sam,"  it called louder, "One last yummy piece of chocolate cake just waiting for you"  it said.  "I'm not even hungry"  I lied.  My tummy rumbled at the thought of chocolate cake.  "Liar"  it said, "You want this last piece of cake.  You deserve this last piece of cake. It's waiting for You."     I stuck my fingers in my ears and said really loud, "LALALALALA!! I can't hear you!"  and I walked away.  That lasted for a few hours but I really did want that last piece. I knew it. The cake knew it. The freezer knew it. Heck, even Tim knew it.

For the record, the last piece of chocolate cake tasted better than any other piece of chocolate cake.  Probably because it is the last piece.  Maybe because I don't bake very often any more and it's a treat.  Possibly because I know I shouldn't have eaten it at all. And definitely because it will be awhile before I get to enjoy chocolate cake again.

And if anyone is curious, I had it for breakfast.  Best. Breakfast. Ever.