The Cake, let me digress the near 30 years ago, when I first met my MIL. She had this 'CAKE', oh gosh was it woderful, much like a pound cake yet, more solid w/ a deep tender crunchie top, almost like topping but it was just the nature of the cake as it baked. The inside is moist to near gooie but not. She served it with strawberries and whip cream but it didn't need anything with it. A few months later I asked her for the recipe over the phone, she gave it to me. I made it for years and it was Never as good as her's. At times almos not good at all. More than a few times I'd loose the recipe or toss it, only to ask for it again..Still even though I can bake, mne was always a dissapointment. Fast forward, to this weekend while in TN visiting her. Here's the CAKE again! She makes it for me when I go to her home or she to mine! YEAH the Cake! So, in talking I just asked her can I read your recipe for this cake? Without thought she hands me the cookbook, flips to the page and I read... Read what?...."8 ounces of Cream Cheese"? AH HA! Never ever once in all these years did that woman give me either hand written and mailed, e-mailed or verbally the CAKE recipe w/ Cream Cheese in the ingredient list. So, that's it, she swears it wasn't intentionally left out or that I must have failed to write it down. Honestly I was so relieved that it wasn't my skills that had not mastered this Cake for 30 years, but lack of information..so we teased, laughed till we cried and had a royal HOOT out of the whole thing. My only regret is never knowing, how/why it took so long to get the full list of ingredients. Even if mine's as good as hers now, I don't think I'll tell her. At 83 I think it's best to let her keep suppling the Cake as her Speciality.

Some of these women Q Ball, protect their recipes like they were state secrets...so childish!

Great story, Q Ball! Some just won't "give it up" when it comes to a favorite recipe that everyone likes. I have never understood that. Cream cheese is a delicious ingredient in some recipes. Cream cheese is one of the ingredients I use when I make banana nut bread!

Chatty & Cookie,
You're both so right about 'secret recipes', and this old gal (my MIL) must still be holding out on me as to something she does that isn't written anywhere. I just made the cake so right to her recipe that I took straight from her book and it still isn't like hers. i may toss this one before I eat it for the almost taste of it and try once more at a later date. LOL I guess she really wants me to miss her for something when she's gone?
Cream cheese in Bananna Bread, that sounds like a good idea. then with me cream cheese in/on just about anything is great!

Q-Ball, just watch VERY carefully next time she's making the cake for you. Drink a cup of coffee, or be talking on the phone so she thinks you're distracted. Then discover the secret. LOL.

My mother's only sister always refused to give away her recipes too. She said people never followed them exactly, instead preferring to "improve as they went." Then when the end result wasn't good they'd blame it on her recipe.

My father in law also protected his recipes. He made the best baked beans on this planet. Sadly, he's gone now, and nobody knows what he put in them (not even his wife).

Whirlwind

Want my recipe for cooking french fries in water?

I share all my recipes right here on BWS and have a cookbook nearly finished as well. I like it when people love and try my recipes. I want them to taste as good as possible when made by someone else. Its a tribute to me, the one who created it, right?

A neighbor of mine made the best chocolate chip cookies. She gave me the recipe and I just couldn't get them like hers. One day when I was visiting her, I noticed she had her cookbook out. I asked her for a pen and paper and copied it off. When I got home, I compared the one she gave me to the one I wrote out. My suspicion was right. She left out the proper amount of butter, I think it was. Some are protective over their recipies for goodness only knows what reason.
Does that french fry recipe call for hot or cold water.

This reminds me of an episode in Friends when Monica tried to re-create Phoebe's grandmother's cookie recipe supposedly a well-kept secret. Only to find out it was one of Nestle's.