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“My mojito in La Bodeguita, my daiquiri in El Floridita.”
– Ernest Hemingway
Many people will have you believe that the mojito was Hemingway’s favourite drink, but according to this article that’s simply not true. Turns out, Hemingway’s favourite drink was actually an ice-cold martini (although he never drank while writing, let’s be clear on that). But even though Hemingway didn’t necessarily love the mojito above all others, I’m pretty sure he would have enjoyed the mojito I made over the weekend because I used key limes instead of regular limes, and since Hemingway lived in Key West for a portion of his life I know he would’ve appreciated the subtle difference in flavour that the key limes gave it. Not to mention the fresh mint I used, straight from the garden to the muddler.
Since I had the bag of key limes out and since Hemingway’s birthday was just last week, I decided to make a cake in his honour. I used my favourite Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake recipe from Veganomicon (a cake I previously made in honour of Emily Dickinson), substituting the key limes for the lemon. Needless to say, this is the perfect summer cake. There is something about the coconut and key lime flavour combination that puts a smile on my face. It reminds me of hot, muggy nights in Florida, swatting the mosquitos while eating frozen key lime pie. And one bite of this cake reignited my desire to visit Havana to check out all the sites that Hemingway loved, including La Bodeguita for a mojito.
My cake (baked in my favourite Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan) cracked ever so slightly around the edges, but that doesn’t bother me much. After all, this cake is still so beautiful to look at and even better to taste. And besides, the cracks just give the ice cream a place to sink into.
