Snowman Cake — For the Tables That Keep Showing Up

Bernice's Table turned two years old this May — two years since we started the Tuesday meal as a response to the pandemic, named it after my mother, and found ourselves still doing it when the pandemic ended and the need did not. We served sixty-three people this Tuesday, which is our highest yet. The number means something: this is not a temporary measure. This is permanent. This table has taken root.

Sister Odalys brought a cake on Tuesday — a simple yellow cake with chocolate frosting that she made herself, which I did not know she baked until she walked in with it. Two candles on it. She said, it's the table's birthday, and the table gets a cake. I said, Odalys, I think you're the best person I know. She said, no I'm not but thank you.

We have added a second volunteer this year — a young man named Deontay who goes to the community college and asked to help because he is studying nutrition and wanted practical hours. He is twenty-one and methodical and asks very good questions and he and Kezia have developed a working partnership in the kitchen that I find genuinely impressive. Kezia explains things to him with the authority of someone who has been doing this for two years, which she has. I watch them together and think: this is the transmission in real time. Not Loretta to Kezia, but Kezia to Deontay, already. The chain doesn't stop. You put something down and someone else picks it up before it reaches the floor.

After the meal I stayed and cleaned up and stood in the church kitchen alone for a few minutes before turning out the lights. Bernice, I said to the empty room. We are still here. Sixty-three people on a Tuesday in May. We are still here.

Sister Odalys didn’t announce the cake — she just walked in with it, and that quiet generosity is what I keep coming back to. In her honor, and in honor of every birthday this table deserves to celebrate, I want to share a cake you can make for someone else without any fanfare: a Snowman Cake, dressed up and cheerful, the kind that makes a room stop for a moment and smile. Two candles optional. The love is not.

Snowman Cake

Prep Time: 40 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 1 hr 15 min | Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• For the frosting:
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 3–4 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• For decoration:
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut (optional, for texture)
• 2 large black gumdrops or candy eyes
• 1 orange candy or fondant piece (for nose)
• 6–8 small black candy buttons
• 1 fruit leather or thin strip of red candy (for scarf)
• Colored sprinkles or sugar pearls, as desired

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease one 9-inch round cake pan and one 6-inch round cake pan, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed.
4. Add eggs and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
5. Combine wet and dry. With mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and milk in three additions each, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined — do not overmix.
6. Bake the layers. Divide batter between prepared pans, filling the 6-inch pan about halfway and the 9-inch pan with the remainder. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean — about 28–32 minutes for the 9-inch and 22–26 minutes for the 6-inch. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Make the frosting. Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla, salt, and heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until frosting is smooth, bright white, and spreadable.
8. Level the cakes. Once completely cool, use a serrated knife to level the tops of both cakes so they sit flat.
9. Assemble the snowman. Place the 9-inch cake on a serving board or cake stand — this is the body. Center the 6-inch cake on top — this is the head. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over both, then refrigerate 20 minutes to set.
10. Frost and decorate. Apply a generous final layer of white frosting over the entire stacked cake, smoothing with an offset spatula. Press coconut onto the surface if using. Arrange candy eyes and orange nose on the top tier, place black candy buttons down the front of the bottom tier, and drape the fruit leather as a scarf between the two tiers. Add any remaining decorations as desired.
11. Serve. Slice and serve at room temperature. Store leftovers covered at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 540 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Carbs: 74g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 160mg