Loaf Cake Recipe

2/3 cup shortening
2 cups fine sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup corn starch
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
Whites of 5 eggs, beaten stiff
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening, add sugar gradually, stirring constantly.  Mix and sift flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt; add alternately to first mixture with milk, add vanilla, then cut and fold in whites of eggs.

Turn mixture into 2 well-greased, bread pans and bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees.  Spread with Maple Frosting (recipe below).  Makes 2 loaf cakes.

Maple Frosting

1 cup maple sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
White of 1 egg
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Boil sugar, water, and cream of tartar together until it spins a thread from the tip of a spoon.  Pour slowly in a fine stream on the beaten white and continue beating until it reaches the consistency to spread over cake.

Note:  Temperature of frosting must reach 160 degrees for the eggs to be safe to eat.

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon molasses

Cream shortening, add sugar gradually, yolks of eggs – beaten until thick and light, flour sifted with baking powder, alternately with milk. Fold in whites of eggs beaten until stiff.

Turn one-third of this batter into a bowl and add to it molasses and spices. Pour into well-greased pan, alternating light and dark mixtures to give it the “marbles” appearance.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

1/3 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 1/3 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 squares chocolate, melted
3/4 cup English walnut meats, broken in pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening, add gradually one cup sugar, stirring constantly. Beat egg yolks thick and light, add gradually remaining cup of sugar; combine mixtures. Add melted chocolate. Mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt; add to the first mixture alternately with milk.

Add nut meats and vanilla, then cut and fold in the whites of eggs beaten stiff. Turn into a well-greased tube pan and bake 45 minutes in a moderate oven (350 degrees). Cool and spread with boiled frosting.

Strawberry Shortcake

2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup thin cream

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Rub shortening in with fingertips. Add cream, mix with a knife to a soft dough.

Turn on a floured board, knead slightly and divide the dough into two equal parts. Pat and roll each piece to 1/2 inch thickness. Lay one piece in a buttered jelly cake pan, brush over with soft butter and place remaining piece on top.

Bake in a hot oven (400 to 425 degrees) for 15 minutes. Remove from oven; invert cake on a hot serving platter. Remove bottom layer (which is now the top). Spread with soft butter and add a layer of berries prepared as directed hereafter. Sift generously with powdered sugar, replace remaining cake, cover with berries, sprinkle with sugar, mask with whipped cream, sweetened and flavored with orange extract.

Strawberry Mixture

Wash 2 quarts strawberries; hull and cut each berry in half. Prepare a syrup by boiling together 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water for 4 minutes. Cool and pour syrup over berries, or sprinkle sugar over berries and let stand one hour.

Lift the berries from the syrup and place between layer and on top of short cake. Strain syrup into a pitcher or bowl and pass with each portion of short cake.

2/3 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon each lemon and vanilla

Cream shortening, add 1 cup sugar gradually, stirring constantly. Beat yolks thick and light, add remaining cup sugar gradually, continue beating.

Combine mixtures. Mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add to first mixture alternately with milk. Add vanilla and fold in the whites of eggs beaten stiff and dry.

Turn into two well-greased, square cake pans and bake 15 minutes in a moderate oven (350 degrees). Spread one layer thickly with boiled frosting, sprinkle heavily with fresh grated coconut, cover with remaining layer. Spread top and sides with frosting, and sprinkle with coconut before frosting glazes.

Boiled Frosting

2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup water
Whites of 2 eggs

Mix sugar, cream of tartar and water in a saucepan. Place on stove and stir until mixture begins to boil. When syrup drops from the wooden spoon thick like honey, remove from stove and add 8 tablespoons of the syrup to the stiffly beaten whites of eggs, beating constantly.

Return remaining syrup to stove, continue cooking until syrup spins a thread at least 5 inches in length. Pour syrup in a thin stream onto first mixture and beat until cool and slightly glazed on the side of the bowl. Spread thickly on cake.

Note: Eggs must reach 160 degrees F to be safe to eat.

Peanut Butter Loaf Cake

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten separately
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream the butter.  Add the sugar; beat until creamy.  Add the peanut butter, mixing well.  Add the milk to the beaten yolks of the eggs and combine with the sugar and butter.  Sift into this mixture the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Fold in, very lightly, the stiffly beaten whites of eggs.  Turn cake mixture into a square or round greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Frosting

2 cups shaved maple sugar or brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 egg whites, beaten very light

Boil sugar and water until it forms until it forms a soft ball when tested in cold water (238 degrees).  Pour over the beaten whites of eggs, pouring in a steady stream, adding while beating the peanut butter.

Beat until creamy, adding vanilla just before using.  The cake should be cool just before frosting.  Remove from the pan and cover with frosting, heaping rather high on the top.

Here are three old recipes from 1910.  They include molasses cake, molasses fruit cake, and hickory nut cake. Read more »

Read more »

Read more »

Coconut Marshmallow Cake

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons milk or water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Beat the eggs and sugar together until very light.  Add the milk or water, the flavoring, then the flour, salt, and baking powder which have been sifted together twice.

Bake in greased pans at 360 – 375 degrees for 12 – 15 minutes.  When cold, fill and frost with coconut marshmallow frosting.

Coconut Marshmallow Frosting

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup marshmallow creme
2/3 cup coconut

Boil the sugar and water until it threads.  If using a thermometer, cook to 230 degrees.  Add the marshmallow creme and beat until thick enough to spread.

Use 1/3 of the frosting to make a thick filling between the layers of cake.  Use the remainder to frost the top and sides.  Sprinkle thickly with grated coconut as soon as the cake is frosted.

1 cup sugar

5 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup milk

2/3 cup pastry flour

1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

2 eggs

4 tablespoons cocoa

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.

2.  Add the eggs, lightly beaten.

3.  Next, add the milk.

4.  Sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa.  Add to the above mixture.

5.  Stir in nuts and vanilla.

Spread 1/4 inch thick in greased, shallow pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done.  While still warm, cut into squares like fudge.

3 tablespoons boiling water

1 teaspoon any desired flavoring

About 1 2/3 cups confectioner’s sugar

Sift sugar and add to boiling water until of a consistency which will spread easily.  Add extract before spreading on cake.

Chocolate Frosting

Use recipe above and add 2 tablespoons powdered cocoa or one square melted chocolate.

Coffee Frosting

Substitute 2 tablespoons of very strong coffee and 1 tablespoon evaporated milk for the water in the above recipe.

Coconut Frosting

To the plain frosting recipe, add 2/3 cup grated or shredded coconut, beating it in after frosting is made.