Mama Mitchell’s Pound Cake debuts at Chandler Farmers Market

As a child growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, Ali Patton fondly remembers playing outside from dusk till dawn in her Paige Drive neighborhood and challenging her peers to a game of kickball.

But most importantly, are the memories of her grandmother, Mama Mitchell, cooking and baking in a kitchen filled with love that would stick with Patton throughout her life.

Born Carolyn Floyd Mitchell, Mama Mitchell lived on a watermelon plantation in Waukeenah, Florida and eventually grew to build a life with her husband and three children. You’d often find her in the kitchen whipping up bacon and eggs, old fashioned divinity candy and, of course, her infamous pound cake. The pound cake is a 100-year-old, homemade recipe with a southern flair and light, fluffy texture. It was a staple at every family gathering or sleepover. 

Patton recalls that she and Mama Mitchell shared a special bond and although distance may have kept them apart at times, she jumped at any chance she could to enjoy long talks over pound cake. 

In fact, for years she felt a longing to carry on the legacy built by her grandmother, but life and her career as an International Business Consultant often got in the way. That quickly changed when Mama Mitchell passed away in 2019. 

“I am passionate about helping others set goals, grow their business and achieve their dreams, but when I found myself lying awake night after night, thinking about my own dream, I had finally run out of reasons not to chase after it,” she said. “Having never felt more nervous, scared and excited in my life, I made the decision to pour my heart and soul into launching Mama Mitchell’s Pound Cake.”

And so, Patton set to work trying to recreate her grandmother’s magic and share it with the world. Mama Mitchell’s pound cake is baked with love and made to order in small batches. Starting Saturday, July 11 you can try the time-honored dessert for yourself at the Downtown Chandler Famers Market in Dr. A.J. Chandler Park West from 7-10:30 a.m.

“There was never a birthday, graduation or celebration when Mama Mitchell’s Pound Cake wasn’t at the center of our table and my dream now is to have it be at the center of yours,” she said. 

Pre-orders are now being accepted for the Downtown Chandler Farmers Market via email at mamacakes@gmail.com. For the safety of all guests, please wear a mask when you stop by to say “hi” and purchase yours.