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I had really begun to think that I might never again make a Harvey Wallbanger cake, since I couldn’t seem to find a store clerk who’d even heard of Galliano, much less carry it. Thanks to the good offices of my Orange County Writers Guild buddies, though, I am now the proud possessor of a tall, distinguished bottle of the bright yellow liqueur.

In fact, at this very moment, my kitchen countertop is holding a–ready for this?–freshly baked Harvey Wallbanger cake! Well, most of a HW cake. I did snitch a couple of bites just to test. I wanted to be sure this was what I remembered. The verdict: almost the same identical cake. It’s been so many years since I made one that I pulled a recipe from the internet, and I think there were a couple of differences. I’ll have to play with it a little to make it perfect.

For one thing, I’m pretty sure that I used to put vanilla pudding mix in the cake, as I do for Sock-It-To-Me cake (which is also delightful) and I think that the next time I do this, I’ll also up the ante just a bit for the Galliano and the vodka. All in all, though, it’s a pretty darn good dessert, especially if I double the amount of glaze, and make sure a goodly amount of the tasty liquid goes in there, too.

I’ll take the remains of this cake to my son’s house tomorrow for the big Fourth of July party. If I slice it up at home and put it on a pretty plate, no one will notice that there aren’t quite as many slices as usual. That’s one of the tricks I’ve learned through many years of potluck suppers and Christmas cookie exchanges. Another one, passed down to me by my mom, is best deployed when your cake is round and in layers. It’s kind of hard to take your cook’s entitlement (the Testing Bite) from a cake like that and still have it beautiful, right? Mom chose to take her piece right from the center, then filled the hole with a little jelly glass full of fresh flowers. Everyone always thought she was so creative!

I really miss my mom. I haven’t particularly missed this cake, but it’s been fun trying to track down the ingredients. Like so many other things I’ve gotten from Mom, baking is a way to share love with my family. I think she’d be pleased that Harvey and I have renewed our acquaintance.

Next on the Goodies from the Past list: Cherry Soup. (Don’t laugh; it’s a great pudding dessert.)

I’ll see you again, after the commercial.