Savannah Valentine’s Day 1967
Chapter 29
There was a broken yellow cake with strawberries and sprinkles all over the front porch!
Addy Wilder was fond of recalling a very romantic beginning of her parent’s courtship. It happened when her parents, Peter and Paula, were in the first grade at Charles Ellis Elementary School.
Both of the young people were in Mrs. Collins first grade classroom. Her mother was a very precocious girl with a pretty smile and long blond hair that was always tied in a ponytail. Her father was a bright and respectful boy and a natural born leader.
Peter would walk from his home on Maupas Avenue and meet Paula at her home on 44th Street. They were always accompanied by Peter’s dog, Tanner. The brown speckled pup with a right floppy ear loved his master and followed him everywhere. During the school day, Tanner would sit on the front stoop of the elementary school awaiting Peter to come out for recess. The boys played chase and Tanner was only too pleased to join in the friendly romp. Also, Tanner enjoyed the ear rubs from everyone who entered or left the building during the day.
Paula was always chatty on her walk home with Peter and Tanner. She would recall all the events of the day and Peter listened attentively. However, he was a little shy and his crush on her made him hesitant to say too much, lest she would figure it out.
Valentine’s Day in Mrs. Collin’s classroom was a special event. The children brought treats for a class party. Mrs. Collins had an old hat box at the front of the room which she converted into a box for the children’s Valentines. At the beginning of the morning, the children would deposit the special missives for their classmates to be distributed at the party. It was a happy affair and one the children in the class would always remember.
On the children’s walk home that Valentines Day, Paula was unusually quiet. Peter could tell she had something on her mind. Quiet was not her way.
Peter walked Paula to her door and wished her a Happy Valentines and he and Tanner went off to play at Baldwin Park with his friends.
When the two returned to his house, Peter noticed a mess of broken yellow cake with lemon, strawberries and sprinkles on the front porch. Tanner was only too happy to start the clean up process! Peter’s mom was on her way to the porch with a broom and dustbin when the two arrived.
“Mom, what happened? Mrs. Wilder had a slight smile and a sheepish look about her and said there had been an accident and asked Peter to help clean up. As he was doing so, Paula and her mother arrived with heart shaped Valentine’s cake with sprinkles just like the ones on his porch.
Paula and her mother had been by the Wilder home just a bit earlier to bring the first cake to Peter, but Paula dropped it. The little girl was in tears. Her mother mentioned she had baked another cake to give to her father and they could bring that one. They raced home and got the second one in which she gave Peter along with a kiss on the cheek and a cheery “Happy Valentine’s!”
What Peter did not know was something Paula had said at the time of the incident. Through her tears she told Mrs. Wilder “How will he ever marry me if he doesn’t think I can cook?!”
Mrs. Wilder never told the story until many years later when Peter and Paula were selecting their wedding cake. It was a yellow cake with lemon and strawberry minus the sprinkles.
First Grade Valentine Cake
INGREDIENTS
1 box yellow cake mix plus ingredients listed on box
1 large tub of whipped topped
1 c of The Southern Conserve Lemon Curd
Fresh Strawberries
Sprinkles
DIRECTIONS
Prepare cake mix according to directions on box. Bake in two 9" Heart Shaped pans. Allow to cool completely.
Level each cake so they're even. Cut each cake in half lengthwise so you have 4- layer cakes.
Place one cake layer on a cake stand and cover liberally with The Southern Conserve Lemon curd.
Add another layer of cake and top this layer with whipped cream.
Repeat with the other two layers of cake, then frost the entire cake with the whipped topping. Finish with fresh strawberries and lemon zest. Keep refrigerated.
Sprinkles highly encouraged!
The Southern Conserve is the Products Line from Chef Theodore Paskevich + Donald Holland. It is sold at Provisions SAV and online on our website.