The 1947 Robin Hood Cookbook pays special attention to the creation of the perfect cake.
“A woman never gets too old, or too experienced, to be thrilled when she sees her own handiwork emerge as a breathtakingly beautiful cake,” the authors note in the opening notes to the cake section.
But, they caution, perfect cakes don’t just happen — they come from using fine quality ingredients, accurate measurements, careful blending and following the recipe exactly as presented.
The book also offers instructions for preparation of the cake tins, sifting flour, folding in ingredients, oven testing and frosting. If these instructions are followed faithfully, a perfect cake is likely to emerge from the kitchen.
Today’s recipes come from this old-time cookbook.
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Standard Two-Egg Cake
1 2/3 cups twice sifted Robin Hood flour
2 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 egg whites
1/2 cup shortening (part butter)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup fine granulated sugar
2 egg yolks, well beaten
3/4 cup milk
Grease and lightly flour an 8x8x2 inch cake tin or two 8 inch layer cake tins. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift together twice sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Sift again. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually beat in sugar. Set aside until needed.
Cream shortening until fluffy. Add vanilla. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, mixing until creamy. Add well-beaten egg yolks. Beat until well blended.
Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in gently after each addition. Fold in beaten egg whites quickly, just enough to blend. Turn into prepared pans and spread batter evenly.
Bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow to stand in tin for five minutes. Turn out on wire rack to cool.
Frost as desired.
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Three Egg Cake
3/4 cup shortening (part butter)
1 cup plus 2 tbsps. milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups twice sifted Robin Hood flour
4 tsps. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 egg whites, beaten
3 egg yolks, beaten
Mix ingredients as for regular cakes. Grease two 9 inch layer cake tins, line bottoms with waxed paper. Grease again and lightly flour.
Turn batter into tins, spreading evenly. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Let cool on rack, then remove and chill completely. Put layers together with filling, then frost with favourite frosting.
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Cocoa Cake
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsps. baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tsps. vanilla
1/2 cup shortening (half butter)
1 1/2 cups twice sifted Robin Hood flour
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 egg whites
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
Mix together sugar, cocoa and boiling water and cook together, stirring constantly, until smooth (2-3 minutes). Cool.
Measure shortening into mixing bowl and allow to stand at room temperature to become soft.
Grease and lightly flour an 8x8x2 inch cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt and sift again.
Cream shortening until fluffy. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, mixing until creamy.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Set aside until needed. Beat egg yolks until light. Add to creamed shortening and sugar mixture. Beat together well. Add cooled cocoa syrup and beat well.
Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk or sour milk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in gently after each addition.
Fold in beaten eggs whites quickly, just enough to blend.
Turn into prepared cake tin, spreading batter evening. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow to stand in tin for five minutes. Turn out on wire rack to cool. When cold, frost with chocolate frosting.
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Whipped Cream Cake
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
3 eggs
3 tsps. baking powder
1 1/2 tsps. vanilla (or part almond flavouring)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1/8 tsp. salt
Whip cream until very stiff. Beat eggs and fold into cream. Add sugar and flavouring. Add flour sifted twice with salt and baking powder.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Makes two layers. Frost with favourite frosting and cover with coconut.
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Thought for the day: “Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.” — E. Joseph Cossman
Joyce Walter can be reached at 691-1259 or jwalter@mjtimes.sk.ca
