Handy & Hot is here!

I’m ashamed of how cliché I sound, but sometimes life gives you limes and you make Coconut Lime Cornmeal Pound Cake.

Until about 6 months ago, we were taking steps to open a bake shop in Kinston called Handy & Hot. But hurricane Florence and her ripple effects brought the brick and mortar version of that project to a standstill. A big part of the bake shop and really the way we saw it being successful was through limited edition baked goods sold exclusively online. So since I’m hardheaded and jet-fueled by the word “no,” we decided to invert the business model and launch the online part first.

It starts with Mother’s Day and my Coconut, Lime, Cornmeal Pound Cake. Basically a tweaked version of our twins’ first birthday cake, this dessert has appeared on the strawberry episode of “A Chef’s Life” and the dessert menu at Chef & the Farmer.

Order your mom, or yourself, or your latest crush a pound cake. The box is cute. There are stickers. And the cake is not too sweet... perhaps like me.

Pure Joy = $30 + shipping

Last day to order is Tuesday, May 7th at 5PM.

If all things Handy & Hot, online go well; we will announce, sell, bake and ship another gift for Father’s Day… and so on. So stay tuned!

— Vivian Howard

Photos by Baxter Miller