Every Grandmother Should Know How to Make "Wanilla" Cake with "Camel" Icing

A small voice behind me asked, "Can we make wanilla cake with camel icing?"  Usually, he only asks for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I only hesitated a second as I quickly calculated the ingredients I had on hand.  "Yes", I replied, never wanting to discourage anyone from cooking.  My pantry is deep into the basics so I knew I could come up with ingredients that would make his "wanilla" preference. I asked if he might want to try a chocolate icing but he was adamant, he wanted "camel".  Me too, it runs in the genes.  I just happened to have a jar of my caramel sauce in the refrigerator and knew when warmed and blended with some powdered sugar it would make perfectly good icing.  I fashioned a little apron for him and let him stand on a step ladder.

I pulled out my big standing mixer, assembled the ingredients and let him help measure and pour.  No   box mixes for this granny.  I'm scratch all the way.  What a joy!  Can you remember making a cake with your mother or grandmother?  I can.  I remember it was a Betty Crocker box mix of "pink lemonade" flavor.  I was about the same age when my mother let me stir and lick the spoon and with that, the fire was lit.  I know he's made cup cakes and pizza with his mother so this request wasn't without some prior experience.

I let him pick from my selection of sprinkles and he really got into the decoration part.  He asked me, as he worked hard at scraping all the batter up, if I had gone to school to learn to make cakes.  I said, no, but there where cooking schools that taught all sorts of things. He said he might like to go someday.  Hmm, maybe we lit a little spark here.

If you have a small child around who wants to bake a cake, be ready!  It just flour, eggs, butter, milk, salt, a little "wanilla" and a big dash of love.  The reward is priceless.