Three months ago I helped someone with their knitting. Yesterday they came to my front porch and I received this unexpected treat. Raspberries are about my favorite fruit. They taste like summer.
IF YOU’VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE BLOG SINCE THE BEGINNING, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THE PHOTOS AND RECIPES.ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I’VE POSTED OUR “GO TO” BIRTHDAY CAKE RECIPES.
MY SISTER GOT ME THE ONE SWAN’S DOWN VINTAGE CAKE PAN IN OMAK, WASHINGTON WHEN WERE VISITING OUR BROTHER ONE SUMMER.
I DID MAIL A BIRTHDAY CARD TO MY SISTER. (UNUSUAL FOR ME THAT IT WASN’T BELATED)
IN MY FAMILY, WE’D TRY TO GET IT IN THE OCTAVE,AS MY MOM WOULD CALL IT. ENJOY YOUR DAY!
HAPPY DAY CAKE RECIPE-
For Birthdays it was the 1-2-3-4 Cake recipe or the Happy Day Cake recipe on the back of the Swan’s Down Cake Flour box, frosted with Penuche icing. My mother would put the saucepan into a sink of cold water and then beat it by hand once it cooled. I can hear the ring of the metal loop at the end of the pan’s handle. And as I remember it she added a dash of vanilla extract. My dad would pour milk over a slice and eat it with a spoon. Cake and frosting recipes below photo.
Happy Day Cake
2½ cups sifted cake flour
1½ cups sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
Sift flour with sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir shortening to soften. Add flour mixture, ¾ cup of the milk and vanilla. Mix until all flour is dampened, then beat two minutes at medium speed. Add eggs and remaining ¼ cup milk. Beat one minute longer. Pour into two 9-inch layer pans that have been lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans; remove from pans and cool thoroughly on racks.
This cake also may be baked in three 8-inch layer pans for 25 to 35 minutes, or in a 13- by 9-inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes. Batter may be spooned into 36 medium paper baking cups in muffin pans, filling half full. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
Penuche Frosting Butter is Key
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, more or less
hot water, optional
PREPARATION:
In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Add the brown sugar. Bring to a boil and lower heat to medium low and continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm. Gradually add sifted confectioners’ sugar. Beat until thick enough to spread. If too thick, add a little hot water. Frosts top and sides of a 2-layer cake or a 13×9-inch cake.
Butter, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, oatmeal, raisins the basic start to a cookie……but then you add Grape-Nuts, chocolate chips, and coconut, toasted pecans…..Kitchen Sink Cookies (click for recipe). There are other recipes that add potato chips, pretzels and toffee.
“……first print reference can be found in 1918 in the newspaper The Syracuse Herald. The expression became popular during World War II, where it was said that everything but the kitchen sink was thrown at the enemy.”
No wheat germ on hand but I did toast the pecans Parchment paper is essential
I am at my sister’s in NYC and sifting through old recipes and photos. This is from 2011.
When I googled this recipe title, from the one she wrote down on a piece of composition paper, I discovered that it is from The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York by Claudia Roden who says it is the Passover Cake of Istanbul and it is imperative to use walnuts that are not stale! You can see the actual recipe in the link above, if you have trouble viewing the handwritten version
Baking with buttermilk creates delicious results. I used the Best Ever Blueberry Muffins recipe with buttermilk but reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup.
And I used 1/2 c of melted butter instead of canola oil. No butter necessary on the muffin. It’s already inside. The house smells so good when they are baking.
Danish Dough hook from Debbie Don’t stir too much They tasted good.
