Heart & Soul: Jocelyn Delk Adams’ Recipes Are A Family Affair

Photography by Chuck Olu-Alabi. Originally published in AphroChic magazine Issue 2, Winter 2019.

Family is at the heart of the story. For Jocelyn Delk Adams, founder of Grandbaby Cakes, family is where everything begins. The food blogger, turned cookbook author, turned television personality, was once just a little girl absorbing all of the knowledge and love there was to be found in a family kitchen. From the beginning, Jocelyn’s baking, with it’s focus on sweet treats and fond memories, has centered on the influence of a central character: her grandmother, “Big Mama.” 

Big Mama is Maggie Small, Adam’s maternal grandmother, who hails from the small town of Winona, Mississippi. Among her favorite memories, Jocelyn remembers making the 10-hour trip from Chicago to Winona to visit her grandparents. As she tells it, from the moment of her arrival, baking was the first thing on her mind. Sometimes a cake would be waiting, but on the best occasions the women in her family would gather; her mother, auntie and grandmother, would roll up their sleeves and the work - and the fun - would begin. Those moments, the experience of being among the women in her family would inspire Jocelyn to start her food blog, a tribute to her family’s baking genius and to the love that inspired it. From there, she would go on to launch a cookbook replete with recipes like “Mama’s 7UP Pound Cake,” “Aunt Irene’s Apricot Nectar Cake,” and “Johnnie Mae’s Seven-Flavor Pound Cake,” the names stirring up warm feelings of home while calling out each contributor to the legacy the baker was heir to.

Each recipe reads like a family narrative, telling stories of special moments, sometimes with notes of a particular ingredient or flourish preferred by a specific member of her family. Jocelyn’s recipes are not only reflective of her own story, but they speak to a story recognized by many Black American families and the Diaspora as a whole. For many of us, baking with Grandmom, Nana, Mom-Mom or Big Mama, getting the sugar, getting in the way, memorizing the steps, and licking the bowl once everything was in the oven, are all familiar moments whether they happened at the holidays, at parties or on the special occasion that was every Sunday night. They were moments of connection where kitchens became classrooms. Life lessons were passed down with recipes, memories were made along with cakes, sweet rolls and cornbread.

This year, just in time for the holidays, Jocelyn shares another family favorite: a chocolate pound cake with a peppermint ganache. The flavors are perfect for the season, and portions can be tweaked for sharing with a large group or among an intimate selection of loved ones. “In my family, baking has always been a gesture of love, especially during this time of year. I love getting in the kitchen with my mother and aunt and baking up something special we can give away. However, this ultimate chocolate pound cake with peppermint ganache glaze is one that we definitely love to savor ourselves.”

Chocolate Pound Cake with Peppermint Ganache Glaze

• Ingredients 

  • For the Cake:

    • ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips

    • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature 3 sticks

    • 2 ¾ cups granulated sugar

    • 5 large eggs room temperature

    • 2 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour

    • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

    • ½ teaspoon instant coffee powder

    • ½ teaspoon baking powder

    • ½ teaspoon salt

    • 1 ⅓ cups buttermilk room temperature

    • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

  • For the Glaze:

    • ½ cup heavy cream

    • 2 teaspoons corn syrup

    • ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

    • ⅛- ¼ teaspoon Peppermint Extract

    • Crushed holiday peppermint for garnish

Instructions 

For the Cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Liberally prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan with the nonstick method of your choice.

2. Pour the chocolate chips into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating interval, until the chocolate is melted.

3. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add the granulated sugar. Cream together for an additional 5 minutes, until very pale yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

4. Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed and slowly add the flour in 2 batches. Be careful not to overbeat. Add the cocoa powder, coffee powder, baking powder, and salt. Lastly, add the melted chocolate, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Make sure the chocolate cools slightly so as to not curdle the buttermilk. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Be careful to not overmix.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 70 to 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check frequently to ensure you do not overbake this cake.

6. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Let cool to room temperature. Lightly cover the cake with foil or plastic wrap so it does not dry out.

For the Glaze:

1. In a small saucepan, add heavy cream and corn syrup and heat over medium heat until hot.

2. Remove from heat then stir in chocolate. Continue to whisk until smooth then add in peppermint extract and allow to cool and thicken.

3. Drizzle over cooled cake and let set.

4. Garnish with crushed peppermint candy and serve.

Serves 16

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