July 2012 – Page 2 – Mama's Cookbook (2024)

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Mary C. Suther Gerstner

Mom lived alone a number of years after Daddy died. We were living in Frankfort at the same time. Occasionally I would take her to visit her old friend from Germany, Mrs. Ida Nietfeld, who was also my godmother. Keeping with the German tradition of having Kaffee around four in the afternoon, she offered a pineapple upside-down cake she made earlier in the day…..brings to mind the old song, “If I’d known you were coming I’d have baked a cake……” Her cake was made with a sponge cake and baked in an iron skillet. I’m so glad she gave me the recipe.

This recipe may have been clipped from a Gold Medal ad or perhaps from the paper cover of the cake flour package. It feels like the typesetter discovered the “bold” and the “italics” options.Once I got past that, I wondered if this was the same as a sponge cake, but after doing a bit of research I found that a sponge cake is much like an Angel Food Cake except that it includes the yolks but no oil or butter. The yolk and whites are beaten separately, however. A chiffon cake, on the other hand, calls for oil even though Gold Medal describes it more as “buttery”. I checked Mrs. Nietfeld’s recipe….sure enough, it’s a sponge cake even though there’s a bit of butter in the pineapple topping.

Ah, but what makes this a Custard Chiffon Cake? Scalding the milk and combining with the egg yolks is a typical custard mixture which is added to the vanilla and cooking oil in Step 1 before putting the wet and dry ingredients together.

Custard Chiffon Cake

Anexcitingly different kind of cake, it combines the best features of Angel and butter cakes. There’s a reason why Gold Medal makes this cake extra good. It’s especially blended…constantly tested to make sure it will always do the same fine baking job for you. Use Gold Medal for cakes, pies, biscuits, everything.

CUSTARD CHIFFON CAKE
(Makes 16 to 20 Servings)

Blend together and then cool:
3/4 cup scalding hot milk
7 egg yolks, slightly beaten

Preheat oven (see pan sizes and temperatures below). Sift an ample amount of Gold Medal Flour onto a square of paper.

Step 1…Measure (level measurements throughout) and sift together into mixing bowl:
2 cups sifted GOLD MEDAL flour (spoon lightly into cup, don’t pack)
1 1/2 cups sugar
*3 tsp. baking powder
*1 tsp. salt

Make a well and add in order:

1/2 cup cooking (salad) oil such as Wesson
2 tsp. vanilla
the cooled egg yolk-milk mixture

Beat until smooth with spoon or beat with electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute.

Step 2…Measure into large mixing bowl:
1 cup egg whites (7 or 8)
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Beat until whites form very stiff peaks by hand or with electric mixer on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes. DO NOT UNDERBEAT. Egg whites are stiff enough when a dry rubber scraper drawn through them leaves a clean path.

Step 3…Pour batter gradually over beaten egg whites — gently folding with rubber scraper just until blended. DO NOT STIR. Pour into ungreasedpan immediately.

Bake:Tube pan, 20x4in. — 325° — 55 min. then — 350° — 10 to 15 min.Oblong pan, 13×9 1/2 x 2 in. — 350° — 45 to 50 mon….or until top springs back whenlightly touched.

Immediately turn pan upside down, placing tube part over neck of funnel or bottle, or resting edges of oblong pan on 2 other pans. Let hang, free of table, until cold. Loosen from sides and tube with spatula. Turn pan over and hit edge sharply on table to loosen. frost with Fresh Strawberry Icing (recipe below).l

Success Tip: Milk must be hot when poured over slightly beaten egg yolks.

*If you use GOLD MEDAL Self-Rising Flour (sold in parts of the South), omit baking powder and salt.

For altitudes over 2500 feet, use baking powder as follows: 2500-4000 ft. 2 1/4 tsp.l; 4000-6500 ft. 1 1/2 tsp.; over 6500 ft. 3/4 tsp. Over 3500 ft., increase oven temperature 25° and use minimum baking time.

FRESH STRAWBERRY ICING…Blend until fluffy and good spreading consistency:
6 tbsp. soft shortening
3 cups sifted confectioners sugar
3 tbsp.l crushed fresh or frozen strawberries (including juice).

Add additional crushed berries if icing appears too thick.

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Posted in Cakes, Desserts, Recipes and tagged chiffon cake, egg yolks, Sponge cake, tube pan. Bookmark the permalink.

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Mary C. Suther Gerstner

This is the first time I’ve seen anything about freezing cake batter. I assumed that the cake would be flat and heavy. But I’ve frozen cookie dough before, so why not? After researching, I found that you can freeze batter either in a ziploc bag or individual cupcakes. If you opt for the ziploc bag, you need to thaw it then pipe it into the baking pan. If you use individual cupcakes, you can put them in the cupcake pan and directly in the oven during pre-heat, then add a bit more baking time. Why would you freeze batter rather than a baked cake? I guess it depends on the situation you find yourself in…..like, “What am I going to do with all this batter?”, or “I shouldn’t really have that much cake around or I’ll eat it all!” Freezing in the baking pan, as this recipe says, might end up being a little messy and prone to spilling in your freezer. Since there is sugar in the batter, it might take a day or so to freeze solid.

I’ve never seen a recipe saying to bake at 365 degrees, so I’m going to assume that is simply a typo. Also, the recipe probably continued at the top of the next column, but Mom either didn’t notice or didn’t think those extra words were worth clipping.

Spice Cake

1/2 cup fat
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream the fat and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and heat well. Alternately add the milk and sifted dry ingredients. Mix well after each addition. Bake in a loaf pan thirty-five to forty minutes at 365 degrees. Cool, frost, wrap and freeze.

If you want to have a freshly baked cake, the batter may be placed in the baking pan, the pan put in a plastic bag or wrapped in aluminum foil, and the batter frozen. Then, when you are ready to bake, that the batter before baking. However, it saves time to freeze the baked cake whichmay be iced before freezing. Butter frosting made with powder sugar are espe-………..

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Posted on July 6, 2012 by Mary C. Suther Gerstner

Here is another recipe submitted in a conversational tone, rather than in the standard recipe format. I realize that “Iowa Spring Robin” is just telling me how to make her cake, but she’s doing it in only four sentences. That would probably have earned me a low grade in English class. On the other hand, maybe the recipe is just being handed down from a previous generation. The Christmas Cookies recipe begins with the list of ingredients so at least I’ll know what I need to make them. The cookies almost remind me of fruitcake because of all the fruit and nuts in them.

Sour Cream Spice Cake

Cream 1/2 cup butter and 2 cups brown sugar, add 3 egg yolks and beat thoroughly. Stir together three times 2 cups cake flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon each allspice, cloves and cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/’2 teaspoon baking soda, and add to the egg-sugar mixture with 1 cup sour cream. Fold in the stiffly beaten whites of three eggs. Bake in buttered pan in moderate oven, 350 degrees F. for 45 to 50 minutes.

Christmas Cookies

Ingredients:
One and one half cups brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup sweet milk
1 cup raisins
1 cut dates
1 cup figs
1 cup nut meats
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Chop nuts, cut fruits into small pieces, then put fruit into a bowl and add 1/2 cup hot water and set aside to cool. Sift the 3 cups flour with all the other dry ingredients three times. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add well beaten eggs. Lastly add the fruits with the other cup of flour. Bake in hot oven.

The above recipes are sent in by — Iowa Spring Robin

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Posted in Cakes, Cookies, Desserts, Recipes and tagged Christmas Cookies, dates, Figs, nuts, raisins, sour cream, Spice Cake. Bookmark the permalink.

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Mary C. Suther Gerstner

Household readers would often request recipes and there are several clippings that are responding to those requests. I imagine most of the readers were farm wives who only went to town maybe once a week to get groceries and visit with other people doing the same thing. They were probably a little lonely. The Daily Drovers Telegram made them feel like members of the paper’s household, swapping recipes and hints.

I like the way this recipe is specific about cooking until the syrup spins a thread…….I think she’s saying if your spoon is only an inch away from the liquid in the pot, it doesn’t count!

Brown Sugar Sea-Foam Candy

2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup water
white of 1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Nuts

Boil sugar and water until it spins a thread six inches long. Then pour over the beaten egg white. Beat until very stiff, than add nuts and flavoring. Drop by spoonfuls on buttered dish. I omit nuts in the recipe and press a pecan kernel in center of each piece. — Mrs. John Setter, Kansas.

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Posted in Candy, Recipes and tagged brown sugar, Drovers Telegram, egg whites, Household, John Setter, Sea-Foam Candy, spins a thread. Bookmark the permalink.

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Mary C. Suther Gerstner

Apparently readers would request recipes from other readers of the Household column. When writing this one, I imagine the reader as having the recipe in her head and she is writing just as she would tell me how to do it. Apparently she assumes you are right in front of your cupboardand can just reach in to get what you need as we go along. I imagine her saying to me, “…..and then you’re going to want to put a filling between the layers, once they’ve cooled off…..”, and then, “Oh, I’ve got this really good beet salad I make….it’s so easy….you just……”

Likes Recipe Exchange

White Cake

Dear Household Friends: I am sending a very good white cake recipe in answer to a request. If it is too large for your family, just use half of the recipe.

1 cup butter or lard
2 cups sugar, creamed together till very light
3 1/4 cups flour, sifted 4 times with 3 teaspoons of baking power

Add 1 cup milk to creamed mixture alternating with the flour. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla to 8 beaten egg whites and fold into the batter. Bake at 350 degrees in layers.

Filling

For the filling, cream 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, add 7 beaten egg yolks and cook in double boiler, stirring constantly, till thick and smooth. While hot add 1 cup chopped raisins, 1 cup chopped nuts and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Next I will give a good beet salad.

Beet Salad

Cut 1 quart pickled beets into small pieces, add 3 hard-boiled eggs cut fine, 1/2 cup nuts and enough salad dressing to moisten.

I imagine the beets need to be well drained, maybe even blotted…..because of adding only enough salad dressing to moisten or bind the salad ingredients.

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Posted in Cakes, Frosting, Recipes, Salad and tagged beet salad, boiled eggs, Cake filling, chopped nuts, chopped raisins, recipe exchange, white cake. Bookmark the permalink.

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Mary C. Suther Gerstner

For a time, during the 40’s and 50’s, it wasn’t unusual for a girl to be married in a nice suit rather than a bridal gown. My two oldest brothers were married during the 50’s and their wives did that. Money was tight. Another way to save money was to make your own cake…..probably that means “Mom” makes the cake. My oldest sister was married during that time period, but I don’t think Mom made her cake. Probably my sister was more in control of the procedures surrounding her wedding and she had the local bakery do that.

I notice several things in this clipping that are much different now. Although you can still buy powdered sugar in one-pound boxes, we more commonly by it by the two-pound bag. But then, plastic packaging wasn’t as prevalent then. I noticed several references to “sifting”…either the dry ingredients or the powdered sugar. I got rid of my sifter many years ago when I downsized my kitchen utensils, so if following these instructions would you just say, “I don’t have a sifter….it’ll be ok without”…..I probably would. I honestly don’t know if it makes a big difference or not.

At the time this was published, it would cost between $40 and $60 to get a wedding cake. I know you can get a nice-sized sheet cake at Walmart for less than $40, but I think this contributor was comparing to a Mom & Pop type of bakery, and we had one in our town. So, I can’t quibble about the price of a cake….maybe includes the price of delivery; I really don’t know. I find the calculation that the cake could be made for an expense of only $7 amazing, especially since we’re talking 9 boxes of cake mix plus 8 boxes of powdered sugar! Incidentally, the clipping doesn’t indicate how many people the cake is expected to feed. Using the serving estimate on a box of chocolate cake mix I had in the freezer (12 servings), I’m guessing you could serve about a hundred guests, even after removing the top layer.

Her First Wedding Cake

Dear Hope and Household: I’m writing in the hopes that I will be of help to the lady who wanted to know about wedding cakes. I made a wedding cake for my niece’s wedding in October. It was my first attempt and as the time drew near I had a bad case of the jitters. Last spring I sent for a set of pans, never thinking I’d be needing them for a wedding cake. I used the two smaller ones and the larger one. I left out the other layer because it didn’t look like I’d have any space for cutting if I used it. The top the bride was going to put in the freezer for the first anniversary so it didn’t matter about the space between the first two. These were all two inches deep. I used a large pan 15 inches across and three inches deep that my grandmother had, for the bottom. (My mother made my wedding cake in that).

I didn’t trust my own mixing, so I used a cake mix. All together I used 9 boxes of mix and almost 8 boxes of powdered sugar, and about 12 egg whites. Here is the frosting I used, a very good one:

2 stiffly beaten egg whites
2 cups powdered sugar sifted
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon glycerine (optional)
1/2 teaspoon flavoring

I put 5 boxes of cake mix in the large bottom pan. I mixed 2 boxes together twice, and then 1 box. These I put all together in a large pan and beat together with my mixer. I didn’t think I should mix more than 2 boxes at a time. I also added 3 egg whites to this mixture,. I baked it for an hour and 55 minutes at 325 degrees. It was just as moist as could be. I received loads of compliments and people said it was nicer and prettier than the boughten ones. They range from about $40 to $60 at a bakery. I bought a few ornaments and made the rest of the frosting. It came to about $7. Quite a difference, and a wonderful experience. I’ve been asked to make another one already. It’s quite a challenge. I hope I will do even better with this one.

Any large board or hard surface will do to move it on. A mirror would be nice to use as a base. I’d put something stronger under this if it is to be moved. I used a large piece of three-quarter inch plywood. A large bread board is fine.

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Posted in Cakes, Recipes and tagged cake mixes, frosting, wedding cakes. Bookmark the permalink.

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Mary C. Suther Gerstner

This is a pretty informational clipping and I think that I might have clipped it myself if I were Mom. I like that the author tells you how to make Lily of the Valley on the cake using the decorating tube. Mom had more than one of those and I have one of them. It’s how I learned to decorate cakes, although my technique was only for writing the recipient’s name and occasion and then dotting the cake, cookie or whatever. I’ve still got the thing, but I actually prefer a bag now. I wondered where Mom got hers, but I’ll bet they were probably available at the dime store or the hardware store. Looking it up under vintage and antique websites, I found one for sale that had the price written on it….39¢!

Traditional cake toppers have been the bride and groom figures which may or may not be hideous. In the mid-60’s, cutting edge people used the religious marriage symbol instead. I’m cutting edge…..so we used a chrome cross with intertwined rings as our cake topper. Just as described, we also saved the top layer and froze it for our first anniversary. I only knew to do that because that’s what my husband’s sister did the year prior to our wedding. Just about any wedding I attended, there was concern on how you are supposed to cut the thing to serve at the reception. After all, usually a couple of friends/acquaintenances will be honored to cut the cake, but who actually tells them what to do. The instructions here are practical and make sense.

How to Frost a Wedding Cake

Make creamy butter frosting (make three times the following recipe for a three-tier cake)

To 1/2 cup creamed butter add 2 unbeaten egg white, 1 pound or about 3 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, a few grains of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. If used for decorating, add enough more confectioners sugar so it will hold shape when forced through decorating tube. Also, a good thing to know is that when it is increased three times for the three-tiered cake, adding 2 tablespoons of glycerine will keep the frosting white and give it a lovely sheen.

To frost: Place largest cake on large plate or platter. Frost top and sides. Place second tier on this, frost, then set on the top tier and frost. On top tier any desired wedding cake decoration may be placed; these may be purchased from a caterer, department store or baker’s supply house.

To decorate: Now is when you add more sugar to make it stiff enough. Put frosting in decorating tube. Decorate with lily of the valley and border designs. To make the lily of the valley, draw the tube along keeping a steady pressure on the frosting. If you let up, the even line will be broken and unattractive. For the blossoms, press small blobs of frosting at natural looking intervals along the stems, then pierce each blossom with the tip of the tube to produce the bell-like effect which is characteristic of the Lily of the Valley flower.

Correct Way to Cut Three-Tier Cake

1. Cut vertically through the large bottom layer at the edge of the second layer. Cut out wedge-shaped pieces.

2. When these pieces have been served, follow same procedure with the middle layer. Cut through this second layer
vertically at the edge of the top layer. Then cut out wedge-shaped pieces.

3. When the pieces from the second layer have been served, return to the bottom layer and cut along edge made by removal of step No. 2. Cut more wedge-shaped pieces.

4. Now three small layers remain. If necessary steps 1, 2 and 3 may be repeated, otherwise bride may desire some to be wrapped and sent to friends. It may be re-frosted for this, if desired. — Mrs. P.D.P., Kansas

(Note by Hope: In some communities it is traditional to lift off the small top tier, fully frosted, wrap it and store in the freezer to be served at the first meal after the honeymoon, or at the first anniversary, or some special occasion.)

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Posted on July 2, 2012 by Mary C. Suther Gerstner

There are three separate clipping about wedding cakes. I’ve never made one, but I did make a cake for my in-law’s 25th anniversary the year after we got married. It was lopsided though. Didn’t show if you took the picture straight on, but side photos revealed the angle.

The instruction about doubling the recipe and how to distribute it among three pans is rather muddy. Although you might distribute the batter from the basic recipe among three eight-inch cake pans, you double it if you are using three separate pans of 6″, 8″ and 10″, all of which are 3″ deep. I would think anyone would be able to fit all three of these in an oven, but I find the instruction interesting regarding keeping cake batter in fridge until ready to bake. I understand that baking powder + water causes a reaction (bubbles) and that secondarily, when baking powder is exposed to heat another reaction makes a cake rise. So, this contributor advises making a double recipe if you’ve got to make a three-tiered cake….I’m just wondering if the second batch you bake will rise the same way as the first. Just sayin’…….Oh, and do you remember time before plastic wrap? What did you use? Apparently waxed paper and elastic bands was one solution.

Dear Hope:

Someone, I forgot who, requested information on bridal cakes. So, I am sending what I can, hoping it won’t be too long.

First, here is a recipe for bride’s white cake.

Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
6 egg whites

Sift flour, measure, add baking powder and salt and sift again. Cream shortening, add sugar gradually and cream together until light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk stirring only enough after each addition to blend thoroughly. Do not beat. Add vanilla. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry, fold into batter until thoroughly blended. Pour into greased and floured layer pans. Bake at 375 degrees about 25 minutes. This amount makes two nine-inch or three eight-inch layers.

Now to make a three-tiered cake, prepare two times the above recipe and pour batter into three greased and floured cake pans of six, eight or ten-inch diameters, all three inches deep. Fill each pan about two-thirds full. Bake the two smaller pans about one hour in a moderate oven, 325 degrees. The largest pan about one hour and twenty minutes. If oven is not large enough to bake all three at once, cover pans which must wait with waxed paper and fasten with elastic bands and keep in refrigerator until ready to bake.

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Posted in Cakes, Recipes, Uncategorized and tagged Drovers Telegram, Hope Needham, three-tiered cake, wedding cake, white cake. Bookmark the permalink.

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Mary C. Suther Gerstner

I must have been practicing penmanship. Why else would I have hand-written the recipe that is in the clipping on the same page?…..oh, I had toimprove the recipe…..apparently I thought oatmeal would be a better additive to the recipe than the raisins! Well, if I were making these cookies I’d probably leave in the raisins and add a cup of oatmeal to the dough.

Candied cherries certainly would have the little bit of change to qualify this as a holiday cookie and make it truly festive.Often candied fruit was only available during the holiday season and I remember Mom buying some candied orange peel. She didn’t make fruitcake, but she would add it to her Christmas bread. My young taste buds didn’t care for the bitter taste of candied orange peel or raisin bread, for that matter. I definitely preferred boughten white bread at that time….now, I’m about the opposite of that!

Holiday Cookies

2 cups sifted enriched flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped candied cherries
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Cream together shortening and sugar and beat in egg. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk and vanilla extract. Blend in fruits and nuts. Drop by spoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake in a 375-degree oven 12-15 minutes.

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Posted in Cookies, Recipes and tagged candied cherries, drop cookies, holidays. Bookmark the permalink.

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Mary C. Suther Gerstner

I was curious about the name of this Angel Food Cake, so of course I researched it. In John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, Beulah is the promised land or Israel. “…Thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah”(Isa. 62.4) is the basis for a hymn “Beulah Land” and a number of southernchurches having “Beulah” in their name use “Angelfood Ministries” as one of their membership groups. Aha! The name is a clever turn on words. Dad’s sense of humor was on the clever side, while Mom’s would be more on the “that’s just funny!” side, so he might have appreciated the name but my Mom might have thought the name puzzling, but just moved on.

Mom probably found the technique of putting half the sugar together with flour as a technique she wanted to try to see if it made a difference in her angel food cakes. During the time of year when chickens were laying lots of eggs, she made Angel Food Cakes because it took 13 eggs…..so if you’re wondering how many eggs to get 1 1/2 cups egg whites, just use 13. It will be close enough. She would make scrambled eggs with the yolks, but you could always tell when she did that. The scrambled eggs were tight and leathery without any whites in them; we ate them anyway.

Beulah’s Highway Angelfood

Beat together 1 1/2 cups egg white, 1/4 teaspoon salt, tablespoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar.

Sift together 1 cup sugar and 1 cup cake flour.

Measure out 1 cup granulated sugar. Add the granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time to the well-beaten egg whites until all is used. Then add the XXXX sugar and flour which were sifted together, a little at a time. Blend well and bake as usual for angelfood.

That “XXXX sugar” is puzzling……refers to the sugar/flour sifted together earlier, but I had to figure it out. Additionally, you’d probably want to go look for your other angelfood cake recipe, unless (like my Mom) you already know the time and temperature in your head.

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Posted in Cakes, Recipes and tagged 13 eggs, Angel Food Cake, angelfood, Beulah's Highway, eggs. Bookmark the permalink.

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