My mom’s famous Jimmy cake has filled me with joy every time I’ve smelled the scent of delicious yellow cake in the oven since as long as I can remember. The recipe came from her mom, and this Bostonian recipe has been passed down from generation to generation.

The warm, soft cake and melted chocolate sprinkles or “jimmies” that tied in the extra sweetness of the dessert: these wonderful features have always made me look forward to the moment when my mom would pull the scrumptious cake out of the oven.

But, the best part, the highlight of her cake that made it the best of all was the strip of sugar that lined only one of the sides of the cake. The thought of this sugary crunch made my mouth water in an instant. As a kid and still to this day I save this sugary region for last, eating the middle cake part first.

I remember one day in fourth grade, my friend and I checked the list of people in the Elliott Ranch Elementary Annual Talent Show and were hit by the devastation of our singing act not making the cut. As I approached my mom with a tear streaked face and sorrow in my eyes, she hugged me and told me she knew what would make me feel better. To my joyous surprise, when I walked through the garage door I saw one of her almighty Jimmy cakes awaiting me on top of the stove, daring me to come get a slice. As I greedily ran to cut a slice and grab a fork I realized she was right- this was going to make me feel better!

Nothing consoled me more than the sweet goodness of warm, sweet cake that practically melted in my mouth- the perfect comfort food for those times when my day just wasn’t going all that great.

Oh how I wish I could thank whichever ancestor of mine decided to mix jimmies into the batter of a bundt cake and passed the recipe along. They created a delectable cake that never fails to bring my family around the dinner table, silently and quickly eating their cake while it was still warm.

by GRACE MCDONALD