Lowery’s Fudge Cake(s) – a recipe with a story

     If you want a good read with LOTS of laughter, pick up a copy of Being Dead Is No Excuse, The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays. A friend sent me a copy for my birthday several years ago. I couldn’t put it down and I laughed so much that tears were streaming down my face. Since then I’ve used it as a program for a literary group, serving recipes that are included with the text. Plus, it has been the subject for a couple of our past cooking classes. The recipes are delicious, the text is delightful . . . so don’t be put off by the title.

     Lowery’s Fudge Cakes are wonderful and, of course, they have a story. Below I’ve included the header that appears with the recipe. In addition the authors add other tidbits at the end of the recipe . . . but you’ll just have to obtain a copy of the book in order to view all their secrets. 

     The book is chock full of southern recipes, from several versions of stuffed eggs and Reincarnation Shrimp Dip to The Methodist Ladies’ artery-clogging Lasagna Florentine. And the Fried Walnuts really are “to die for.”

Lowery’s Fudge Cake(s)   Make 18 really large square or 24 medium squares

No Greenville native of a certain age will ever forget the pleasure of biting into a piece of Lowey’s fudge cake. It was sold exclusively at the old Lowery’s Motel. We still remember how it was cut into squares and neatly wrapped in wax paper. After the Lowery ladies died and the motel became but a fond memory, custody of the fudge-cake recipe was passed to another lady in the church. It still arrives for the reception in perfect square, wrapped in the traditional wax paper, though now the ladies of the Pastoral Care Committee unwrap it and arrange it on a silver tray. It never lasts long.

Lowery’s Fudge Cake(s)

2 sticks butter

4 squares semisweet chocolate (I used 1 ⅓ cups of semisweet chocolate chips)

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 cup flour, sifted

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together.
   
3. Add the sugar. Stir until melted. Cool slightly.
   
   
   

   

   Mixture is cooling on a marble slab.
4. With a wooden spoon, mix in the eggs, one at a time.
   
5. Fold in flour and salt.
   
6. Add vanilla and chopped pecans.
   
7. Pour the mixture into a buttered 9 x 11-inch pan.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes. Start testing at 30 or 35 minutes. To be a purist, your straw for testing should come straight from the broom.
   

Being Dead Is No Excuse, The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays is available 

@ Amazon or Barnes & Noble 

Recipe without photos . . .

Lowery’s Fudge Cake(s)

2 sticks butter

4 squares semisweet chocolate (I used 1 ⅓ cups of semisweet chocolate chips)

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 cup flour, sifted

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together.
3. Add the sugar. Stir until melted. Cool slightly.
4. With a wooden spoon, mix in the eggs, one at a time.
5. Fold in flour and salt.
6. Add vanilla and chopped pecans.
7. Pour the mixture into a buttered 9 x 11-inch pan.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes. Start testing at 30 or 35 minutes. To be a purist, your straw for testing should come straight from the broom.