The Chocolatey Dessert Idea Paula Deen Shared In Honor Of Father's Day

While cooking has captured Paula Deen's heart, there are many things she holds dear that can't be served on a plate — family, in particular.  According to Deen's website, one of the crucial lessons she learned over the course of her life was: "I know I wouldn't be where I am without help from friends, family, and strangers, and I always do my best to give thanks." She has a lot to be thankful for. As her site describes, her son "Bobby Deen has long been an essential ingredient in the recipe that has made his mother Paula Deen an American cooking icon." Both Bobby and her son Jamie have co-owned restaurants with Paula and appeared with her on camera.

The famous family woman showed appreciation for dads when she shared a YouTube video all about Father's Day and how some of her family members wanted to celebrate it. But for Paula Deen, the meaning of family goes beyond biology: "Family isn't just blood — it's those you love unconditionally." A non-relative who has become more like family is her assistant Eddie, who is so important to her that she took a page from his book when choosing to share a recipe for Father's Day.

Paula Deen introduced Eddie to fans on YouTube in 2016. She met Eddie through a friend who "praised this man to the moon and back," and she almost hired him immediately. Now, she sings his praises and embraces him like family. She even embraced one of his family recipes. Deen posted a video on Instagram of Eddie "sharing his grandmother's chocolate cake recipe" with her audience just in time for Father's Day. In the caption, she calls Grammy Langley's Chocolate Cake recipe "perfect to make for dad." 

In the video, Deen takes on a more conversational, sidekick role so Eddie and his recipe can shine. He mentions that the cake is "a little different. There's no eggs in it." Instead, the "dump-and-stir recipe" included such ingredients as vegetable oil, vinegar, cold water, cocoa powder, flour, and sugar. The result is more like a "reverse whoopie pie" because it is so dense. And while his father wasn't really a sweets person, says Eddie, he would always try whatever was made and offer his constructive criticism. So while it was recommended for a dad who is a chocolate fan, it might work for one who, like Eddie's father, may not necessarily be that into sweets.