Chester Cake

Here in the Caribbean, we too have a rich food heritage centered on "ole time" bakeries and bread vans. A couple of months ago, Chennette wrote an Ode to the Bread Van in which she shared about the bakeries and bread vans in her hometown in Trinidad. I, for my part, immediately felt the longing for Chester Cake, one of those ole time baked goods that's not as popular today as it was back in the day. Read this week's column to find out more about Chester Cake and for a recipe to make it yourself. Trust me, you'll never throw away stale bread again.

I baked two pans of Chester Cake and introduced my Barbadian students to this Guyanese treat that was inherited from our European ancestors. The following week they wanted to know when I was baking again (smile).

I like my Chester Cake to have a buttery rich pastry crust that crumbles, falls in my lap, and melts in my mouth. I like the cake itself to be moist from the rum-soaked fruits and I want to smell the spices!

Make this soon.