Thursday, October 13, 2011

Old Fashioned Butter Cake

How to start this post?  YUMMMM...we loved this cake...we couldn't stay away from it...we ate it for dessert and then we ate it for breakfast...  This beautiful cake recipe is a 100 year old treasure and a keeper!  Reeni of Cinnamon Girl discovered this recipe in an old McCall's cookbook published in 1910, and she too fell in love with this fluffy, moist, easy-to-prepare cake and was good enough to share it with the rest of us so that we could enjoy it as well.  Thank you, Reeni!  If you are not familiar with Reeni's blog, please take a few minutes to go and visit her.  Her food is fabulous, and her photography makes you want more!

At first I was skeptical that a cake recipe made with all-purpose flour could be be both fluffy and moist; in the past, I've only achieved that kind of result when using cake flour.  Also, I pretty consistently only have King Arthur Flour in the pantry, which tends to make a denser (but still delicious!) cake.  Imagine my surprise when my first bite revealed a cake that surpassed all expectations.  I don't know if it's the one tablespoon of baking powder or the four minutes total of beating, but whatever, the secret, this recipe works!
This will be a recipe that I will turn to again and again.

Old Fashioned Butter Cake
(from Reeni's Cinnamon Girl blog

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1  1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Grease and flour two 8 inch x 2 inch baking pans and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Add butter, milk, and vanilla.  With a hand mixer, beat for  2 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. 

Add eggs and beat for 2 minutes more.

Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally between the pans.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven.

Cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then turn cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Frost with your favorite frosting.  I used my favorite chocolate frosting, the one on the back of the Hersey's cocoa can. 

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar)
1/3 cup milk  (plus an additional few drops to make a nice consistency)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter.  Stir in cocoa.  Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency.  Add more milk if needed.  Stir in vanilla.  About 2 cups frosting

22 comments:

  1. I have tasted one similar to this one and it is delicious. Sometimes those older simpler recipes are the best. Thanks.

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  2. mmm:)) exquisite images ...
    Well done:)
    I'm watching you ...
    expect me to my ...
    turkey, loves to ...

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  3. Sounds great and looks delish and seems really easy to make. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. Looks delicious! I'm bookmarking it immediately.

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  5. Oooh, Katie that is one beautiful cake! Makes my mouth water just looking at it. I remember cutting Betsy McCall paperdolls out of my grandma's McCall's magazine. Definitely going to try this one soon.

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  6. I will be trying this one-sounds really good.Easy to make too.

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  7. Hi Katy! This recipe was a nice surprise. I am always on the search for a good yellow cake recipe since I love layer cakes (in fact I just made the same frosting for a cake). Anyhow, I have one recipe I use once in a while and it calls for 8, yes 8!!! egg yolks. That is a bit much for one cake even though it is good. This recipe sounds wonderful and I am going to try this for a birthday cake I need to make next week. Thanks!! (ps - LOVE old recipes!).

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  8. Oh Katy..pure deliciousness! When you find a good recipe you hang on to it. This cake recipe is one of those. I have one that I have used for many years and it's the best I've had but now I want to try yours!

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  9. mmmm, my mouth waters just at the name, not to mention the gorgeous pictures and descriptions. this looks awesome!

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  10. The old recipes many times are the best ones. Your photo has me drooling. The cake looks so luscious and moist.

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  11. Thank-you for the kind words and rave review Katy! It is a surprisingly delicious cake - we love it in our house too. You can just see from the picture how soft and fluffy it is. Have a great weekend!

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  12. I made this today and it IS delicious, thank you for the recipe. A word of warning for those making this...make sure you follow Katy's suggestion for pan depth. My pans weren't quite 2" deep and it baked over the top edge of the pan (still delicious).

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  13. Hi Katy this is an amazing and delicious cake, love it! gloria

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  14. The cake looks so soft, light and smooth.

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  15. This cake reminds me of the cakes my mom made when I was a kid. It does look so moist and yummy. :)

    Hugs

    -Kim

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  16. Is it o.k. to make this cake in a tube pad?

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  17. It's a pretty tender cake and I would be hesitant to try it, but I know there are many brave cooks out there, and if you do, I'd be interested in hearing your experience.

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  18. I just made this and I'm salivating but I can't eat it yet... Expecting guests soon. Pray that I don't cut it before they arrive. It smells so good!

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    1. I have yet to find a butter cake that I like more than this one. Gosh this is good! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Blessings! Thank you so much for stopping and leaving a comment.

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  19. I just made this cake and it is very good! My family ate it all in less than a day. Will definitely make again.

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  20. I'm delighted that your family enjoyed this cake. It's so rewarding to try something new and to have it be successful, and to see it gone in a day, well that's something! Bless you and your dear family.

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