Earl Grey Chocolate Cake, baked and photographed by Kim White

Some days are meant for cake. You wish you could smell my kitchen today.

In days gone by, a Sunday family dinner and cake were a thing. A big thing. This meal was lovingly prepared and eagerly awaited by all. Sunday family dinner is still important, dare I say mandatory, in some families and cultures. Less so in the modern age, which is sad. Typically, throughout the meal and conversation, hearts soften, smiles happen, laughter is heard, and tears may fall. Things are worked out. Cake helps.

These days, we lack connection and commitment to people, not always through fault, but through busyness. We can’t be all things to all people all the time. I prefer having a smaller circle of friends and staying closer to them. Fun fact: I’ve met some of my closest friends through social media and loved meeting them in person! Add cake, and it’s the best kind of get-together.

Family, faith, friends, work, education, and many other priorities fill our time and schedules. It’s understandable and common that some relationships take a back seat for a season. But you still need to eat. Why not come together to fill that basic need? You don’t need to eat every meal in the company of others, but do it for at least some of your meals, if possible.

A weekly family meal doesn’t need to be 100% homemade. You can still gather together over takeout, and no one will be offended. And if you’re not a baker, remember that bakeries make some outstanding cakes, just waiting to be brought home to your table.

Cake is meant to be shared.

Cake can be mailed to someone who could use a sweet reminder of your love and care.

Cake can be a great way to renew a relationship. Hear me out.

Baking a cake takes time. You gather the ingredients, prepare the batter, bake the cake, let it cool, and then serve it. Purchasing a cake requires effort, too. And if you choose to mail it, there’s extra time, effort, and expense involved. Your care, thoughtfulness, and love accompany each step, no matter how your cake journey begins.

I bake Earl Grey Chocolate Cake because others enjoy it, and it is one of my son’s favorite desserts. Each step offers an opportunity to think about the people who will receive it, to pray for them, and to consider how it will bless them. They are blessed not only because it tastes delicious, but also because time and care were invested in making it for them. The Earl Grey Cake recipe is included for paid subscribers below.