Today’s recipe is from a dear friend of a half century. Annie Frances Blackman was one of the first persons I met when my Ed and I married and I moved to our community.
Annie Frances and I have been friends, neighbors, and fellow church members all these years in Anderson at Welcome Baptist Church, where William West is pastor. The church is in Saluda Baptist Association.
Annie Frances is an absolute pillar at Welcome – as was her late mother, Fannie Sue Blackman, who was WMU leader for many years; her late sister, Ethel Fred Bishop, who also filled that role; and her brother-in-law, Willard Bishop.
Since joining Welcome in 1944, Annie Frances, a soft-spoken person, has held many positions in the church. For many years, she was in the choir, was YWA leader, helped with GA coronations, taught Sunday school, and was a leader of WMU (a job she still has). During these years, she has served on a lot of committees.
Annie Frances attended Anderson and Winthrop colleges. Her master’s degree in library science is from Florida State University. For many years, she did library work in the public schools, then at Anderson’s public library – until she accepted a position as librarian at Anderson College. She was there 19 years until her retirement.
She spends a lot of time reading. When she worked in a library with all those wonderful books, she explains, there was no time to read. Now she is catching up. She also enjoys knitting. She likes growing flowers, and she and her late sister always had beautiful plants at the family home. She still does much of that, frequently contributing flowers for the church.
Annie Frances has a reputation as a good cook. She doesn’t recall where she got the Pineapple Cake recipe, but has had it a long time, coming across it again recently. She now makes it often because it’s simple and easily put together; one doesn’t have to get out the mixer. She says the nuts can be omitted if anyone in your family is allergic to them. We thank her for sharing this good recipe with us. It will be one you’ll use.
“The cake is better after it sits in the fridge for a few days,” she says, suggesting that you “make it about the middle of the week and it will be just right for … Sunday Dinner.”
Pineapple Cake
2 eggs
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup chopped nuts
By hand, beat the two eggs till light and fluffy. Add the crushed pineapple, 2 cups of flour, the sugars, and soda. Mix well by hand, then stir in the 1 cup of nuts. Spread in an ungreased 13x9x2 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, or until done.
Remove from oven and let cake cool completely.
Cream Cheese-Ginger Frosting
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon ground ginger
To make frosting, beat together the softened cream cheese, butter and vanilla; then gradually add the powdered sugar and ginger.
Spread on cake; sprinkle a few chopped nuts on top.
Because of the pineapple and cream cheese, the cake is best stored in the refrigerator.