Comments on: Emily’s Cake–Poetry on the Plate

By: Emily Dickinson’s Black Cake Recipe

Emily Dickinson’s Black Cake Recipe — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:25:56 +0000

[...] Vera writes about Emily Dickinson’s famous black cake, an important meeting of culinary and literary cultures if there ever was one. [...]

By: ashok

ashok — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:23:24 +0000

The poem is lovely, the cake sounds delicious! But the key to this entry is this “Belle of Amherst” play; I actually hadn’t heard of that before, and will have to look it up.

I should add that I do own that version of “The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson” and highly recommend it – the previous editions of her poetry have been badly edited, Johnson works from the original sources.
ashok would like you to read..Emily Dickinson- “It is an honorable Thought” 946

By: pen4hire

pen4hire — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:24:28 +0000

I swear that even non-fruitcake lovers, love this cake. It isn’t that gluey mass that you think of. I think the currants and the mace make a big difference (besides the brandy, of course).

By: pen4hire

pen4hire — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:23:27 +0000

Just between me and thee, I find her very challenging, too. But that is the joy of it. That, and knowing that she had nobody to particularly guide her–so she just invented on her own what suited her. And it was SO different from the poetry she would have read in Victorian books or religious books around the Dickinson house. I’m afraid I wouldn’t add much to your conversation. I love most of her poetry. But some of it just makes me throw up my hands in frustration.

By: pen4hire

pen4hire — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:19:09 +0000

I am fascinated by the history of this recipe. I discovered another black cake recipe in a book of old-fashioned New England recipes. It was nearly identical, except that it had icing, which strikes me as total overkill. Nevertheless, the important thing is that it was a Jamaican recipe–and if you substitute rum for the brandy, that makes sense. Ever since, I have wondered if the Dickinson’s had a Jamaican cook in their household at some time????

By: Frugal Kiwi

Frugal Kiwi — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:09:06 +0000

Ick to fruitcake-like food items, but how neat to have an Emily Dickinson receipt! .-= Frugal Kiwi´s last blog ..Afternoon Delight Tempura (Sky rockets in flight) =-.

By: Jennifer Margulis

Jennifer Margulis — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:00:15 +0000

My mom lives next door to Emily Dickinson and knows dozens of her poems by heart. I'd love to read more about your take on her poetry. I so love her poetry. I taught some of her poems to second year English students in Niger, West Africa. They found it amazingly challenging (American students do too) but I think my enthusiasm was contagious! .-= Jennifer Margulis´s last blog ..Good Taste Means Less Waste =-.

By: ReadyMom

ReadyMom — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:21:06 +0000

I’m no fruitcake fan, but I love the idea that you’re connecting Dickinson to a recipe of hers. I still remember researching Virginia Woolf in graduate school and coming across a mention in one of her diaries of her making cake with her sister. Such an endearing moment. Thanks for sharing this.
.-= ReadyMom´s last blog ..Ghirardelli cookie disappointment–call for recipes! =-.