Wilson has passion for baking cakes

Shandra Wilson grew up watching her mother bake in the kitchen.

"When it came to baking, I was not interested," said Wilson, daughter of the late Jimmy and Lillie Moore Johnson of Philadelphia. 

Now baking has become not only a passion for Wilson but also a form of therapy because it reminds her of her mother who died in 2018. 

Wilson's mother was featured in the Neshoba County Magazine for her cooking and baking in the summer of 2013. 

"When I bake in my mom's kitchen, it makes me feel closer to her," Wilson said. 

A couple of years ago, Wilson a social media post featuring a cake she had baked, and shortly after, she went into the cake-baking business. Now Wilson has clients from as far away as Chicago and Texas. 

Wilson said she receives cake orders throughout the week. 

"I'll take maybe one day to just kind of relax and not make cakes," Wilson said. 

Her family is supportive of her efforts. 

"My family helps me with the cakes," Wilson said of her children, Kyleigh, 15, Ja'Marquis, 11, and husband, Marcus Wilson, who help her in the kitchen as much as possible. 

Wilson takes cake orders through Facebook or by phone at 601-575-1128. 

On top of making cakes Wilson holds a certificate in Phlebotomy and has been working as a phlebotomist for 20 years and works at Quest Diagnostics Laboratories in Dekalb. 

Wilson's husband Marcus works at Neshoba General, and according to Wilson, he loves cooking also. 

Wilson and her husband take turns cooking dinner, she said. Marcus enjoys cooking with his smoker and doing different meats. 

"My daughter has learned how to cook from just watching my mom and me and my husband," Wilson said.

SWEET ALABAMA PECAN BREAD

1 c sugar

1 c brown sugar

4 eggs beaten

1 c oil

1 1/2 c self-rising flour

1 tsp vanilla

2 c pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Using a spoon stir together sugar, brown sugar, eggs and oil in a mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in flour and vanilla. Add pecans, then stir until evenly mixed. Spoon mixture into pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Whipping Cream Pound Cake

(This is the first cake my Mom taught me how to practice baking.)

 3 sticks salted butter (softened)

3 cups granulated sugar

6 eggs

3 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325. Butter and flour 10-inch cake pan. Combine sugar and butter in large mixing bowl. Mix together until the two ingredients are creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Beat eggs well after each addition. Add flour and whipping cream by alternating it into the mixture. Mix in your vanilla flavoring. Then pour batter into your cake pan. Bake for 1 hr 15 minutes or until tester inserted into middle of cake comes out completely clean. Allow cake to cool completely.

SHANDRA’S SPECIAL PARTY DIP

1 lb of ground beef (cooked and drained)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

One 8-ounce package cream cheese softened

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 dash cayenne pepper

8 ritz crackers, crushed

Corn chips, crackers or bagel chips, for serving

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat the oven to 325. In a skillet season and brown ground beef. Using a spatula break ground beef into smaller pieces. After ground beef has browned be sure to drain. Place drained ground beef on a plate covered with sheets of paper towel. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper. Then add the ground beef to mixture. Transfer the mixture into a round baking dish. Top the mixture with the cracker crumbs and bake until heated about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and top with the bacon. Serve with Tostitos or crackers