Maya Angelou & Caramel Cake
In celebration of April as National Poetry Month, we are shining the spotlight on various Black poets who have written poems about food. Read ‘The Health Food Diner’ below, and find Maya Angelou’s family recipe for Caramel Cake at the bottom of the page!
Maya Angelou was a remarkable author, poet, and activist who began as Hollywood’s first female Black director. In her activism, she worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Her poetry is known for celebrating Black beauty, the strength of women, and the human spirit. She was the first Black person and the first woman to read a poem at the presidential inauguration for President Clinton in 1993; she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2010. She viewed food as a way to tell stories and nourish; “devices for the growth of the soul.”
The Health-Food Diner
No sprouted wheat and soya shoots
And Brussels in a cake,
Carrot straw and spinach raw,
(Today, I need a steak).
Not thick brown rice and rice pilaw
Or mushrooms creamed on toast,
Turnips mashed and parsnips hashed,
(I’m dreaming of a roast).
Health-food folks around the world
Are thinned by anxious zeal,
They look for help in seafood kelp
(I count on breaded veal).
No smoking signs, raw mustard greens,
Zucchini by the ton,
Uncooked kale and bodies frail
Are sure to make me run
to
Loins of pork and chicken thighs
And standing rib, so prime,
Pork chops brown and fresh ground round
(I crave them all the time).
Irish stews and boiled corned beef
and hot dogs by the scores,
or any place that saves a space
For smoking carnivores.
‘Momma’ Angelou’s Caramel Cake Recipe
Retrieved from Lit Hub
Tied both to memories of pain and love, the Caramel Cake made by Maya Angelou’s grandmother (affectionately called Momma) is an exemplar of food as nourishment and healing.
Step One: Caramel Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup boiling water
Heat sugar in heavy skillet over low heat, stirring constantly until it is melted into a brown liquid. When the entire surface bubbles over, remove from heat. Slowly add the boiling water, stirring continuously. Pour the mixture into a separate container and let cool.
Step Two: Caramel Frosting
6 tbsp butter
8 oz powdered sugar
4 tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Brown butter in pot over medium heat, then allow it to cool. In a bowl, add powdered sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and salt to the browned butter. Beat until smooth. If it is too stiff, add tbsp half & half to thin.
Step Three: The Cake
8 tbsp butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Caramel Syrup
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
Caramel frosting
Preheat oven to 375. Line two 8” cake pans with wax paper. In a large bowl, beat butter and add 1 cup of sugar gradually until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the syrup.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add this to the creamed mixture and add in milk.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs for 3 minutes or until foamy. Add remaining sugar and beat until there is a spongy foam. Stir into cake batter until blended, then divide the butter between cake pans.
Bake for 25 minutes, then check bounciness of cake by gently pressing it with a finger. If it is not bouncy, add to the oven for 10 more minutes.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let it cool to room temp. Frost one layer, then place the other on top and frost the entire cake. Drizzle with any remaining caramel syrup and enjoy!
