Kuni's Chocolate Cake

Over the course of the essays on this blog, I have repeatedly written about my paternal grandmother, Lakie Pearl Hill Livesay, otherwise known as MaMa. The “Turkey Bag” story was candidly what inspired me to start writing this blog, inspiring me about the idea of leaving a “legacy.” Additionally I have shared the story about the “Tobacco Plug”, and last year I shared two of her recipes before Thanksgiving. Today, Christmas Eve 2010, I want to share some thoughts about my grandmother; but this essay is about my maternal grandmother, Kunigunda Lindemann Wark.

My grandmother, known affectionately to her friends as “Kuni” was a true New Yorker. Having been born in Manhattan in the early 1900’s, she lived her life in and around that magnificent city. Growing up in a small town in western Pennsylvania, our annual visits to New York were exotic. I remember fondly the rides on the subway, lunches at automats in Manhattan, and summer visits to Jones Beach. I still remember sleeping on my grandmother’s living room floor waiting to watch the lunar landing live on TV in the summer of 1969.

I have very fond memories of “Kuni,” my very proper German grandmother. The picture above shows her, my grandfather Wark and Aunt Lorraine standing behind my sister Alice and me many Christmases ago. I remember how my Grandmother was always so well dressed, was always so kind and gentle with us kids, and I remember her teaching us the card game “Crazy Eights” after dinner one warm summer night in New York. Simple and delicious memories of long ago!

One very clear memory is that my grandmother was a wonderful baker. There was always something sweet to enjoy in her kitchen during our visits. What follows is the recipe for “Kuni’s Chocolate Cake,” a simple and delicious small square cake that I have baked a number of times, always to rave reviews. Try it for yourself


kuni's recipe1



As I close this essay with very fond and sweet thoughts in mind, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Regardless of faith or tradition, the aspirations of hope, love, and “peace on earth, goodwill to all mankind” resonate as strongly today as they did thousands of years ago!

Merry Christmas!