Part of that meant we had to stop doing a lot of things that we used to do.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, molasses and vanilla until smooth.In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk with 1/3 cup of hot water..

In a large bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.Add the brown sugar and mix very well.Add the 6 tablespoons of butter and the oil and beat until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

While beating constantly, slowly drizzle in the egg mixture until incorporated, then beat in the buttermilk mixture, scraping down the side and bottom of the bowl as necessary.. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for about 20 minutes, until the cakes feel bouncy and a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean.Transfer the cakes to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes.

Unmold the cakes and cool completely on the rack.

Peel off the parchment paper..Courtesy of Robin McDonald.

It's the sausage, however, that people are most familiar with — pretty much any breakfast joint in Alabama worth visiting offers Conecuh on their menus; once you've had it, smoky with hickory, possessing that delicate snap that comes from all-natural sheep and hog casings, it's hard to put out of your mind.A cynic might put that down to the inclusion of MSG in their special, secret blend of spices that some sleuths have decided includes sage, thyme, red pepper, and anise (among other things), but Conecuh sells an all-natural sausage too, and it turns out that the thoroughly modern version's pretty great as well.. 15 Mail Order Hotdogs and Sausages You Need This Summer.

Conecuh products are now sold in supermarkets around the Southeast, with more than a few sightings well outside the region.(If you cannot find them locally, Conecuh Sausage products can be mail-ordered from.