"Jause" Time Somewhere
How a gluten-free cake transported me to my Austrian grandparents' apartment.
Barb and I were enjoying a lovely evening at our good friends Lee and Debbie’s Evanston home. We were served delicious dish after dish, with Lee assuring me that each one was gluten-free. Dessert was a loaf cake, made exclusively with almond flour. Not a hint of wheat in sight.
I took one bite, and like Proust with his madeleines, I was immediately transported to my past. The cake had the taste, texture, and raisins of Gugelhupf, the Austrian bundt cake that was the specialty of Mama, my maternal grandmother.
Just like that, I felt myself sitting in my grandparents’ Sherwin Avenue apartment in Rogers Park, sandwiched between the lake and the El. I spent many afternoons there as a young boy in the early 1960s. Mama and Papa’s cat Bobby would lounge in the sun, while Papa sat quietly painting watercolors. Mama bustled about the kitchen preparing for Jause, the afternoon snack time embedded in Austrian culture.
And always there was a freshly baked Gugelhupf, perfectly unmolded from its bundt-shaped pan. A cup of tea followed by slices of the wonderful yellow cake with its golden brown crust and juicy raisins made the perfect 3 o’clock treat.
Mama’s baking days ended when my grandparents moved to an “old-age home” in 1963. My mother inherited the Gugelhupf pan, and though she was a good cook, she couldn’t quite replicate Mama’s technique. Her cakes were good, but not quite perfect. I believe my sister tried her hand at making the cake, too, but also fell short of our grandmother’s specialty. The same can be said for the occasional bakery-bought versions I have tried.
It’s been a long time since I thought about my grandparents. I’m glad Lee’s baking got me thinking about them again. I’ll be sure to reminisce about them every time I enjoy the leftover cake Lee sent home with me.
Maybe I’ll have a piece now. After all, it’s Jause time somewhere!