Company’s coming. Up the stairs. They just rang the bell. Coming up for a drink- but who just has a drink? They just went to dinner. They will be looking for the classic cake and coffee situation. But you don’t know what to fix. You’re not Italian so you don’t have a sheet of baba au rums or sfogliatelle in the freezer- or even those button cookies made with butter and flour that never actually freeze- they are in a holding pattern. You do a full 360 pirouette in your kitchen as if a twirl will give way to a solid idea.
The creative life is about pivoting- or twirling... figuring out how to make something out of nothing- like dessert. You put on the coffee first- the aroma of that will make the drop-ins feel instantly at home. You get out your grandmother’s dishes and your mother’s teacups. You pull pressed linen napkins out of the drawer. You light the candles. Then... you bake the cake. This is the easiest, breeziest cake recipe there is- and I found it somewhere many moons ago- and it was attributed to the great Dolly Parton, who I love- and had the great privilege of working for- writing for her. There is no one like her- not in the past, and not in the future- she is the one and only. When you make this cake- offer a silent prayer of thanksgiving for the ease and deliciousness of this simple recipe. That’s why it was in Real Simple... because it’s really simple. Simple is the sister of spontaneity. Simple is also classic. And like Dolly- really sweet.
The Dolly Parton Dump Cake (featured in Real Simple)
INGREDIENTS
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can blueberry pie filling
1 stick butter
DIRECTIONS
Grease and flour a 9-by-13 inch pan. Put the yellow cake mix at the bottom. Pout the can of crushed pineapple over the pan (with the juice). Next, dollop on the can of cherry pie filling, followed by the can of blueberry pie filling. Thinly slice 1 stick of butter and sprinkle the slices over the other ingredients. Bake the cake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
