Southern Recipe Restoration Project

The contributor: Patti Doster of Milton and her husband Kie moved to his hometown of Atlanta in 2004, where her in-laws taught her to appreciate Southern cooking at many a family dinner.
"Christmas at my husband's grandmother's house was the event of the year! She would be cooking in the kitchen from the early hours to right up until we would say the blessing. She loved to work in the kitchen cooking up the numerous dishes we would anticipate every year. "She was a member of the 10th Street Methodist Church in Atlanta, and this is where the Pea Pickin' Cake recipe originated. She would make it for birthdays and family reunions."
Curious about its history, we did a quick Internet search and found thousands of references, affirming its widespread popularity in the South. Some attributed it to country singer Tennessee Ernie Ford and a celebrity cookbook in which it appeared many years ago. Undoubtedly his hit and catch phrase, "Bless Your Pea Pickin' Heart, " inspired the name --- and many slight variations thereafter. (One version, translated as "Pig Pickin' Cake, " also includes coconut and chopped pecans in the frosting.)
Chef and recipe tester Virginia Willis said: "Forget the scratch cake, freshly chopped oranges and pineapple, freshly whipped cream, pure vanilla extract and soaking sheets of gelatin. The neighbors loved it! It's one of those dead-on Southern favorites that would be equally at home at the dinner-on-the-grounds church social or potluck. No snobbery allowed --- and no pastry chefs needed!"