Who thinks up these names for recipes? This cake sure caught my attention!
For the past month, I've been sorting through boxes and boxes of paperwork: receipts, notes, old cards, newspaper clippings of weddings and deaths, recipes--you name it. Aunt Bunny saved a lot of stuff!
This week I found a clipped recipe for West Virginia Funeral Cake...all the how-tos but no mention of the story behind how the name came about.
Googling the cake name brought up a cookbook with the quote, "You've not lived until you've tried Maw-Maw's West Virginia Funeral Cake!"
Another site that popped up was a history page from a West Virginia funeral home with the real story behind the cake name. See below...
On July 1, 2002, Lohr & Barb Funeral Home, reintroduced the age-old tradition of the funeral cake.
Before the days of the automobile, the undertaker knew when he was called to the home of a family that had just lost a loved one that he would be spending the next few nights with the family.
The undertaker would prepare for his journey by grooming the horses, preparing his luggage, place the coffin and necessary equipment into the hearse for a home visitation and church funeral. During this time his wife would be busy in the kitchen baking a cake for the grieving family. Because all the ingredients were things she usually had....eggs, sugar, milk, butter and flour....a pound cake was the usual gift.
When the undertaker arrived at the home he would kindly ask the family and neighbors if they would gather at the kitchen to share the cake and reminisce about the good memories and stories of their loved one. He would then go to the bedroom and prepare the body for viewing and the events of the next few days.
The standard for three generations, our family offers this Funeral Cake to you and yours.
I'm wondering if there are any readers of Mountain Musings from West Virginia who can confirm this story or have experienced receiving Funeral Cake at a time of loss. This is so interesting and a story I'd never heard before.
So...guess what dessert we're trying next?
Guess again...it's not the Funeral Cake. Tomorrow is Hannah's birthday, and I have an inkling this isn't what she would pick for her special day!
~Deb
My husband's mother's side of the family all come from West Virginia. Many of them still live there. I'll have to check with them and see if they know about this cake. I agree with Hannah that this wouldn't exactly be my pick for a birthday cake either.
Happy Birthday Hannah!
Victoria
Posted by: victoria | Thursday, January 08, 2009 at 08:21 AM
The recipe for the cake sounds really tasty. I've never had chocolate and cloves together in a baked good...at least, not that I remember. :) I don't think this would be a birthday cake choice for me! Happy early Birthday, Hannah!
Posted by: Dorothy | Thursday, January 08, 2009 at 09:16 AM
Well.....how about Sunday for a try huh?????
Altho', you might just want to revamp the name or something. :)
Posted by: Wagner Family | Thursday, January 08, 2009 at 09:24 AM
I am still laughing about the name.I sent birthday wishes 2 days early for Hannah!I knew it was coming .She is just 2 days younger then my nephew's wife.I guess early is better then missing it all together.
Posted by: Tammy | Thursday, January 08, 2009 at 09:51 AM
The name sounds odd for such a tasty looking cake. I would like to try it. Thank you for sharing it with us. I wish you the best as you continue to sort through Aunt Bunny's things. I also hope your daughter has a wonderful birthday. *smile*
Winter blessings.-me-(Mommy of two little blessings)
Posted by: Mommy of two little blessings | Thursday, January 08, 2009 at 10:24 AM
I live in a small close-knit community. It's the custom here to bring food to a grieving family but I've never heard of a cake being called a funeral cake. Very interesting story - I'll ask some of the oldtimers here whether they have ever heard of it.
It looks good!
Posted by: Islandsparrow | Thursday, January 08, 2009 at 02:27 PM
OH and an early Happy B-day wish for Hannah!
Posted by: Islandsparrow | Thursday, January 08, 2009 at 02:29 PM
I emailed my mother in-law, who spent much of her youth in West Virginia. She had never heard of it. She also emailed a relative who lives there. She had never heard of it either but said she would ask some of the older members in our family who are in their late 8o's and have lived in W. VA all their lives. I'll let you know if they know anything about it.
Victoria
Posted by: victoria | Thursday, January 08, 2009 at 04:12 PM
The cake sounds like it would be really moist and good. I have never heard of funeral cake, but I have heard of Raisin Pie being called funeral pie for the same reason--the cook could keep the ingredients for Raisin Pie on hand all year long.
Posted by: Becka | Thursday, January 08, 2009 at 04:54 PM
Very interesting cake recpie.. and even more interesting story behind it. I see no reason a cake for such a purpose wouldn't be tasty, though. In earlier times, death was just one more part of life, albeit a sad part. It was also very much a family and community event, everyone participating at various levels. The houses were designed with parlors in them, where the newborn and old/infirm were, and most times elderly family spent their final days and weeks in that roon, surrounded by family anad friends. The "wake" and often the burial itself took place in and from this room, most often on the lower floor, near the staircase and entryway. I can imagine the undertaker arriving, family and friends already gathered, expecting him, and bringing out this special cake to nourish and cheer the mourners. Quite likely this would be a welcome bit of pleasure in the midst of all the other busyness of such a time.
On another note entirely, even though I don't know you other than through these flyspecks on my computer screen, Happy Birthday to Miss Hannah!! I do wonder, though, had this cake recipe been found under another name, would it be a worthy venture for a celebration cake on Your Day? I'll be interested to see what you DO choose...... anyway, hoping for a very happy day with family/friends, and many blessings in this next year of your life.
Posted by: Nick Jesch | Thursday, January 08, 2009 at 04:54 PM
We may just make this for Sunday. :)
The recipe is actually quite similar to a sheet cake I have requested for my birthday several times, but it was time for something different this year. I thought the Tuscan Apple cake turned out to be a good choice.
Posted by: hannah | Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 05:06 PM
Yes, my Grandmother talked about the funeral cake. They were raised around Beckley WV.
Posted by: KENDRA | Wednesday, December 28, 2016 at 01:09 PM