I don’t really keep score when it comes to most baked goods, but there really is only one cake that reigns supreme in my mind:  my grandmother’s damn lemon cake.  For those of you unfamiliar, it is a lemon pound cake with a lemon glaze.  This has been my favorite cake for as long as I can remember.  It’s what I’d request for my birthday, it’s what my grandmother would bake if we were in town for the weekend.  It’s just perfect.  Moist, tart, and satisfying.

That kinda treat is comforting as it transports you to a specific time and place.  For me that’s every Fourth of July, many Sundays after church, Easter, my birthday, my brother’s birthday, trips up for the Derby, Christmas, and generally any sort of special occasion with my mom’s family.

It’s a little overcast here today.  I was planning to go out and sight-see/take some photos, but decided (instead) to run a couple errands then return to make a twist on my grandmother’s cake:  damn lemon poppy seed cake (bars).

I needed a small loaf pan (which I didn’t have) so my cake recipe quickly turned into bars.  However, after a couple bites, I’ll say it’s absolutely delicious.  If I can’t have the real damn lemon cake, these will do.  And I’m happy to start a new tradition with Jim here in France.

This is also making me think maybe I should look into taking a French baking class while we’re here.  I joked about it for a while, but now I’m starting to think it might be a really great idea.  I love to bake.  I love to eat.  Now to learn French…