75 Comments

I love everything about this. The lemon cake (my favorite)! Beyonce! Jolene!

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Thanks, Elizabeth! 🎶🍰 Hope you’re well! (Still thinking about romance-cooking novels, I’ll email you.)

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I loved this, Jolene! Your name! Dolly! That cake!!! 😍 I looove making lemon curd. It is the one thing I make that always comes out exceptional. Definitely going to try out this recipe.

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Thank you so much, Jenovia! I love making it, too and this recipe works great — also, have you ever mixed lemon curd with whipped cream to make a lemon cream? SO DELICIOUS! I love putting a dollop over strawberries! 🍋💛🍰💛

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No I haven’t tried mixing them but I WILL NOW 😍 thank you for the pro tip! 💗

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I hope you love it! 💛🍋 🍓

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Same, except for the lemon curd -- have NEVER made that successfully, and yes, I'm ashamed.

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No shame! 😉 I love the name of your substack!

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“An enthusiastic dork” 🤣 my new aspiration

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🤣 We need t-shirts!

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Another delicious post! 🍋

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Thanks, Jillian!

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So fun! I will always gravitate toward a lemon dessert and this one sounds lovely.

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Thank you, Amy! I also love lightening the lemon curd with the whipped cream - lemon cream over strawberries is so good!

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Now I can’t get the Nora Jones version to stop playing in my head. Wonder how you’d translate that into food?

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Individual Cupcakes 🧁 for Nora and each of the other Little Willie’s. 😉

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Olivia Newton John recorded a gorgeous version of Jolene in the 70s. I love that so many people shamelessly serenade you 😁

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Yes! Thanks, Julie-Anne for reminding me about Olivia’s gorgeous cover! 🎶 (I shamelessly embrace the serenades 😂)

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My first best friend was named Jolene so I've always had a fondness for the name. She moved away when I was four and she must have been about six (sixty years ago 😳!). The only thing I really remember about her is that we stole a gift box of chocolates off of a neighbor's porch. We got in big trouble, but boy those candies were good. Also I am in love with Beyoncé's new album. I've listened to it multiple times a day since it came out and her duet with Miley is one of my favorites. All that to say, lemon cake sounds like a really good idea right now.

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Love this memory of your childhood friend, Jolene, and the chocolates! If you have some time to make the cake it is GOOD! 🍋🍰 Thanks for your comment!

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I can’t explain it but you remain a blonde in my head—just like Beyoncé

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👩 !!! 😂

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Jolene! You are such a fascinating woman...so glad I know you! And the cake...yum!❤️

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So glad I know YOU, Pam! Thanks so much !🤗 🎶

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i am WOWED. these layers! with the artists' favorite colors, and blooms, and flavors, taken into consideration! plus your history with the music. Jolene, this, um ... takes the cake. and i'm grateful for the shout-out xoxo

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Thank you so much, Danyel 🎶 🍰 really appreciate it. xx

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beautiful essay, Jolene. i love when you write about your iconic name! and thank you for the shoutout xoxo

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🤗

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Oh I wish I could make this cake! I mean, eat this cake. No gluten, no lactose. What a fun read. I’m glad I came across it so many months later, Jolene. And Jolene is definitely one of my favorite songs. And as I just said in my restack, I’ll have to think of some sort of Ricky Martin cake 😂❤️

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Thank you so much, Francesca, I need to know more about the Ricky Martin cake when you make it! 😃

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I don't even eat cake or sweets and I still loved this post. It's light and springy, just like the delicious cake you made. I admire how you mix in the symbolism from Beyonce, Miley, and Dolly into the post and the cake. So enjoyable and well done. Came out just right.

That's quite a do Dolly has. I'm glad that fashion era is gone. Looks like a lot of work.

Looking forward to your next post. But before that, like right now, I'm going to listen to the song.

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Thank you so much, Andrea, I really appreciate your comment. ☺️ 💛🎶 (and yes, the hair was really somethin’ !)

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Love this post - and thank you for this recipe - you've prompted me to go and make a Victoria sponge.

I named my daughter Cecilia in the hope that she'd be serenaded through life - and indeed she is!

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Thank you so much, Jo! I love the name Cecilia and Simon and Garfunkel 🎶 Many happy serenades to your daughter. This recipe by Claire Ptak is amazing, I hope you love it! 🍰

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I love everything about this, too. I listened to Cowboy Carter on repeat all Easter Sunday while I made coconut cupcakes. If only I saw this before I would have made this. I'm jealous you saw DP at Forest Hills. I have been singing II Most Wanted til my coworker got sick of it and begged me to stop!

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Karen, I love that you listened while baking and coconut cupcakes sound so good 🧁! It’s like we are having our own little baking/listening parties! I’m really grateful I got to see Dolly. 🥹

I laughed out loud about your coworker! My kitchen is at the front of my apartment and I’ve been belting out II Most Wanted all week 🎶 I’m waiting for the neighbors to start complaining 😂 Thanks so much for your comment, have a great weekend!

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