Most of the meals Liz eats at the convent in Italy are ones I made up, but her first meal was our first meal, and her experience was mine:

 “I wrongly assumed that the third course—the pasta—was the main course but it was followed by platters of pan-fried whitefish and bowls of green beans and potatoes, and then a cheese course and fruit. It was served by a nun with a face like a wizened apple who urged us to “Mangia! Mangia!” I had been hungry beforehand, but by the time I finished the fish and potatoes, I couldn’t find space for a single bite of cheese, though I looked longingly at the great wedges. I didn’t know what the nun was saying, but I could tell from her tone and face that she was chastising my lack of intestinal fortitude.”

I still feel disappointed that I didn’t have the capacity to eat chunks of fresh Parmigiano Reggiano because never again in our stay were we offered the cheese again. (We had to go to Parma to get samples!)

But one of the dishes I most enjoyed served by our nuns was never served by Liz’s nuns, and yet it’s one I want to share with you now. Because after we came back, I found a recipe that approximated it. Sometimes I wonder whether, if I were to return to the convent (impossible since it got sold to become a luxury hotel), I might prefer my own version of this cake that we always call Nun Cake.

Nun Cake is similar to a pound cake – so called, apparently, because it contains a pound each of sugar, eggs, flour and butter – but it’s simpler and has less butter and is hard to mess up.

(I guess if it’s a nun cake, I should say it gives you grace.)

In any event, here’s the recipe:

Mix together by hand (but don’t overmix): ½ c. softened butter, ¾ c sugar (or slightly more), 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla,1 tsp salt, ½ c. buttermilk (milk + 1 tsp lemon juice), 1-1/2 c flour, and 2 tsp baking powder.

Put in a buttered cake pan of any size and shape and bake at 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes or until golden. I often make mine in a round 9” pan but you could make this in a loaf pan too.

It’s a really simple cake, but it is delicious and is lovely served with fresh, unsweetened fruit.

Mangia! Mangia!