Raspberry Morning Cake

Before Mother’s Day, the big downtown farmers market is awash with fresh flowers of all colors, just as the folk shopping there week after week for price and freshness includes Moms of all stripes.

There’s the suburban Mom sporting a trim wicker basket, hair just blown, feet just pedicured in chic sandals. There’s the soccer Mom with a mini-vanful of kids, some even her own, hair pulled back, feet in Keds. There’s the mother-in-law Mom recently arrived from Russia to join her son and his American family, hair off-red, feet in heel-worn laced oxfords. There’s the new Mom with an infant Bjorned on her chest, hair barely combed, feet in flip flops. There’s the Muslim Mom, hair veiled in an elegant hijab, feet in Adidas. There’s the love-generation Mom carrying cloth bags, hair temple gray, feet in Birkenstocks. There’s the Asian Mom bargaining for a live chicken, hair inky, feet in hose and heels. There’s the grandmom-Mom with grandbabies in tow, hair cropped close, feet in sensible shoes.

Happy Mother’s Day to all who’re Moms, in all their stripes of hair and footwear.

ALANNA's TIPS For lighter cakes, warm eggs in hot water for 5 minutes before beating in. ‘Fluff’ flour to lighten before measuring. Otherwise, you’ll use more flour than called for and baked goods will turn out heavy. Frozen blueberries are a good substitute. The frozen berries will thicken the cake batter so use two tablespoons to transfer by dollop into the Bundt pan. I’ve started buttering and sugaring Bundt pans to make it easier to remove cakes from the ribs.