Lemon Cake

Okay... My grandmother's cousin Verleen has been baking me a lemon cake every summer for my birthday for as long as I can remember. This is the best cake I think I have ever tasted and the fact that she only makes this cake once a year of course adds to the mystic of the cake. She actually uses real lemons. Now I have no idea what she does or how she does it, all I know is it is awesome covered in lemon icing.
Now I know what your thinking... Lemon cake with lemon icing...eww that's too much lemon... But I am here to tell ya... It's not! The cake is a little tart and the icing is sweet making it the perfect lemon combination.
A few years ago Tiana and I had convinced Verleen to make the cake twice a year... Once in the summer and then in the winter (for our Christmas Party) This cake was so good that we would race home after work to get a piece. I remember Tiana actually coming home for lunch just to get a piece of Lemon cake.
This one year in particular we asked for two cakes. One for the party and one for the house. Verleen said she would do it but we had to supply the lemons. Not a problem we would gladly buy the lemons but before we could go get them my grandmother went out and got them. SO hooray! for grandma's. Right?
The day we went to pick the cake up. Tiana insisted on going with me because she didn't want me to cut the cake without her for fear I would eat to much and limit how much she was able to eat. This cake was serious business. I think we even left work a little early that day... Anyway, we get to grandma's house and there is a cake and a half there.
WHAT! A half a cake! What was my grandmother doing. This is bad juju on her part. As calmly as possible I asked my grandmother what happened to the other half of the cake. At this point Tiana was beyond words he just sat in the leather chair by the kitchen staring at my grandmother.
My grandmother proceeded to tell some story about somebodies daughter wanting to try the cake and how her birthday had just past and blah, blah, blah... I assure that nobody in that room besides my grandmother cared if that little girl had ever tasted Verleen's lemon cake. I know I didn't. She had rationalized her actions with the idea that Tiana and I wouldn't be able to eat two cakes...But we could eat both cakes. That would be one each. But the plan wasn't for us to eat both cakes. It was to use one for the party and to save one for ourselves. Duh! That's why we asked for two. Grandma shoulda asked for one. Who is she to give away something that doesn't even belong to her. (Then again if you know my grandma then you know that she gives away stuff all the time its the under her room clause. She feels she has access and dominion over anything in her domain... Its Q.C.'s law)
So when Tiana and I get home we realize we have some decisions to make. Not difficult ones but decisions none the less... How do we keep the whole cake and use the half for the party. Now to just serve half a cake on a platter would be tacky. We need to camouflage it. So we cut the cake up into little slices and fan them out on a serving dish with little slivers of candied lemons and some green leafy thing as additional garnish. (I know clever huh?)
The cake was gone before the first hour was up. It was a huge hit. And our whole cake rested nicely in our bread box away from grubby fingers and wanting eyes.
The next day we sat in the living room gorging ourselves on lemon cake and milk. (Tiana was lactose intolerant for for her this was truly an act of gluttony) Ken of course suspected that there was more cake than we had served and made his way back to our house the next day. He blackmailed us into sharing it with him by threatening to tell all of our friends that we were holding out on them. SO better to share with one other person than several. Right so we cut him in on the lemon cake caper.

Unfortunately the two cakes a year deal didn't last. Verleen had a few health issues and wasn't always up to it but I understand. No matter how much I love this cake I wouldn't risk Verleen's health to get it. (But I would be lying if I didn't say there wasn't a moment... Naw just kidding... I love Verleen)

Last year she was too sick to bake. So there was no lemon cake. The year before her daughter died and well, no cake. The year before her husband had a heartattack and well... no cake then either.... (My grandma tried to bake one and pass it off but it was a cheap copy and there is no foolin and trained pallet such as mine. It was good but it was not Verleen's lemon cake)

So, this year how excited was I when on my weekly visit to my grandmother's house she told me that Verleen had baked me a cake and she was waiting for it to cool so she could ice it! Yay! So after choir rehearsal I go to grandma's house and get me cake. Woohoo!
What does my grandmother do... She offers a piece to her next door neighbor. So boo on her for once again giving away something that doesn't belong to her... But I guess it is okay since he was the one that gave Verleen the Lemons to make the cake.

Okay... I finally get home.Eat dinner and now it is time to reward myself with a little cake... Isaac of course can't stand to see me with anything has to have a slice too... He is such a copy cat! After eating the first piece and watching a little television I decide to have a second piece. Afterall it's mine and its been years since she made a cake. It would be wrong to not indulge a little. Right? (Well that what I am going with.)

As I am cutting my second piece of cake Isaac tells me "No, you can't eat that! (what!?) Remember your goals. Don't come coplaining to me about how you need to double up on your workouts at the gym (I will and so what?!) Here's what I am gonna do for you... I am gonna take half of the cake to work with me tomorrow... blah, blah, blah...)
At this point I am laughing so hard I almost chocked. Obviously this man doesn't realize the depth of my relationship with the particular treat. Now everyone that knows me is aware of my propensity to be self indulgent and the great lengths I am will to go to satisfy this part of myself... ESPECIALLY HIM! So why oh why would this little puerto rican man