This website is published through the courtesy of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Any opinions expressed, however, are totally my responsibility.

Jim Andris, Sept. 17, 2003.

Little Brown Koko Cake

Cream 'til fluffy:
1/2 c. Butter
1 1/2 c. Sugar

Add 1/2 c. Cocoa
Beat, stir in 1 egg

Mix til foamy, stir in
1/2 c. Buttermilk
1 1/2 t. Soda

Sift and add, stirring until mixed:
2 c. Flour
1 t. Baking powder

Add and stir in 2 t. Vanilla

Pour & mix 1 c. Boiling water

Put in greased pan
Bake 350 for 45 min

Note: When I was a child, my mother read to me out of many books. Among them was a book by Helen Bannerman. She wrote a series on "Li'l Brown Koko." These books would surely be labeled racist and sexist by some today, but my mother saw this as a way of introducing me to the idea that black folks had loving, caring families, too. One day, when she was to me about mammy "whipping up" a cake for her children, I asked her if she could make that cake. My grandmother was listening to this. The directions in the book were not intended as a recipe, but were a literary device. Nevertheless, my mother and grandmother put together this recipe above, and it makes a very delicious fudge cake. She also topped it with chocolate frosting.

My own addition to this came when as an adult, I decided to split the cake halves and spread freshly cooked lemon pudding between them, then icing center, top and sides with chocolate frosting. To this day, it is my favorite dessert.