Ebinger's Chocolate Black Out Cake

Before getting on the Church Avenue bus, at McDonald Avenue, mom would take us into Ebinger's Bakery, where she would buy a Chocolate Black Out cake. She did not want to chance, that the Bay Ridge Ebinger's might not have the cake she wanted to bring! As she spoke to the lady, who worked behind the counter, my sister and I would walk around eyeing the lemon cupcakes, the crumb buns and the butter-cream cakes. We were on our way to our cousins' house and mom would never think of visiting them, without bringing a cake!

The ride to 39th Street and 5th Avenue was not long on a Saturday, early afternoon. Mom carried the special cake box; pale green with a brown crosshatching design. Reaching the first leg of our trip, we would transfer to the 5th Avenue bus and before long, reach our destination..60th Street.  You couldn't miss this stop! Across the street was O.L.P.H. (Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church) Its beauty and size overwhelmed me! I loved running up and down its many steps; on our return trip.

Once we arrived, our Thea Katina (Aunt Katherine) would happily greet us at the door, surrounded by her three kids, who would grab us, and pull us inside! Our yiayia (grandmother) would stop making her bars of soap, and lovingly hug us. As Thea Katina put on the Maxwell House coffee, (in the Pyrex coffee percolator) she would send one of her kids upstairs, (2 flights up) to see if our other aunt, Thea Voula, wanted to come down and join us for 'coffee and cake'. If she did, she would come down with her three boys, and we would all play together in the living room...until "THE" cake was served!

Our yiayia would send us to wash our hands, as Thea poured coffee into the fine china coffee cups (mugs were not yet 'created').  The kids were yelled at; "stay away from the hot coffee!"  We were given small Dixie cups filled with milk and each of us got a sliver of cake. It sufficed our sweet tooth craving and having finished, we went outside to play. You could say that bringing the cake was necessary for many reasons; made the kids happy, and forced the women, to sit around, if only for a short time, and relax!

The women would talk, I have no idea about what, maybe like we do today..about 'everything and anything', as they had their coffee and their piece of cake. After about two hours, it would be time to leave..but we never wanted [to!] We had to get home; everyone had to start preparing dinner, for their hard working husbands.  Eating out, in those days, was unheard of. Eating Out? What's that?! We would leave, knowing that we would be together again, the following weekend. Maybe next time, we'd bring mom's favorite cake; butter cream Mocha cake, with almond slivers on top!            

Peace.