"To our blossoming chef, love Mom and Dad."

"Unfortunately," DiPasqua said, "that page is gone, but the sentiment is still with me."

She used that book almost every weekend, which is how she developed what she calls "a lifelong love of all things cooking."

One of the first things she tried was the Brown-Sugar Spice Cake recipe she shares today in answer to Debra Artz's request for one.

No wonder she says it's one of her favorites. "I was praising it about a month ago, and when I saw the request in the paper, I thought, I've got to send it in."

She still makes the cake today and tops it with a rich buttercream frosting.

She used to frost the cake with the classic icing made from the recipe on the back of the box of confectioners' sugar: butter, confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla.

"The buttercream frosting is a new twist, but it's basically the same stuff plus meringue powder and more butter."

DiPasqua likes to cook, period. "But given a choice, I would bake: bread, cakes, tarts. Everything is homemade. I think I love the actual process as much as I love the eating.

"I adore entertaining. A couple of time a year I have six or eight friends over, and I spoil them rotten, mostly with desserts."

She credits her parents for getting her started with that cookbook gift. "I have my mom to thank for letting me in the kitchen, and my dad for being the most loving food critic one could hope for."

She did the same thing her parents did with her own children, now 28 and 27. "When my kids were little I cooked and baked every day. Both of my kids love to cook."

Brown-Sugar Spice Cake with Buttercream Frosting  

Cake:
2¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
2/3cup shortening
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Buttercream Frosting:
1 pound box confectioners’ sugar
½ pound butter, softened
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon meringue powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Cake: Preheat oven to 350º.
Grease and flour bottoms of 2 8-inch layer pans.
Sift flour with soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg into large mixing bowl. Stir in brown sugar. Add shortening and milk. Blend well with mixer at low speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and continue beating 2 minutes at low speed. Pour
batter into pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center. Cool 10 minutes in pans. Turn cake layers out onto cooling racks. Frost when completely cool.

Frosting: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy.
 Note: Kathryn DiPasqua buys meringue powder (powdered egg
whites, sugar and stabilizer) at Michael’s. Also look for it at cook´
ing specialty stores and some supermarkets. It’s also available on´
line from Wilton. She says it’s optional but well worth it.
 She also uses this recipe for cupcakes. Fill lined muffin cups with
butter until half full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The frosting recipe is
easily doubled.

Send your recipe requests, answers and your best recipes to Jann Malone at jmalone@timesdispatch.com or P.O. Box 85333, Richmond VA 23293. Please put "Recipe Exchange" in the subject field or on the envelope and include your name and a daytime phone number.