Cake.

I must say, my mother made a very good Chocolate Cake; but I suppose that all mothers do.

It was always a good day when the old-fashioned beige mixing bowl came out from the pantry. We would crowd around the big breakfast room table, desperate to put our fingers into the mix, as soon as her back was turned.

She made it look so easy. She put in a bit of this, and a bit of that, maybe some butter and Cocoa powder, then mixed it all together. 

Whilst it was in the oven (a dreadful old thing called 'Radiation New World') the icing would be prepared. It always seemed like hours before the cake was cool enough to accept its topping

I'm pretty sure that my mother only iced the top, which was always given a wavy pattern with the back of a fork. My sister and I fought over the right to do the art work.

But, of course, a cake is all about taste, and hers became the cake by which I judged all others. It seemed impossible that one of her cakes would win anything but FIRST PRIZE in the annual village WI produce show. I no longer remember if they did; possibly not.

I still like Chocolate Cake; Lady Magnon makes a very good one. I'm no longer too keen on the icing, but she always leaves part of the cake un-iced, specially for me. 

Chocolate Cake has been a life-long friend, as I'm sure it is for many!