Choc Icing

by Mrs Marvel

These days we don’t use uncooked eggs in icing, it just isn’t done what with all the fears of salmonella and other icky things, but you cannot beat the light and airy texture that can be obtained with an egg. I wouldn’t make this icing simply because of the egg, even with the chocolate being melted, the heat of the melted chocolate wouldn’t cook the egg enough to satisfy my modern sensibilities.

Choc. Icing

Beat with spoon or mixer until fluffy.

1 large unabated egg, 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar, 1/4 teas salt, 1/3 c soft shortening, 2 squares unsweetened choc, 2 oz melted

Oatmeal Cookies (Mrs Fairservice)

by Mrs Marvel

As oatmeal cookie recipes go, this one is pretty normal. I think I like the name of the source more than anything – Mrs. Fairservice just sounds so very proper and traditional, doesn’t it?

Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups B Sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup lard, 2 eggs, 1/2 teas cinn, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, 1/2 teas salt, 2 cups flour, 4 cups oatmeal, 1 cup raisins, 1 teas soda, enough sweet milk to make a stiff batter. Drop from a spoon.

Spice Cake

by Mrs Marvel

I know I have posted various spice cake recipes in the past, and here is another. As previously stated, I like spice cake because it isn’t the same ol’ chocolate cake. With a cream cheese or vanilla buttercream icing this would be a pleasant treat. Of course this recipe, like so many vintage recipes, assumes the baker will know how to cook this cake. So, combine all the ingredients, pour into a cake pan or loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray with flour in it, then bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Start checking for doneness at 30 min, it will depend on the shape of pan you use. Then….enjoy!

Spice Cake

1 c. brown sugar, 1/2 c. shortening, 1 egg, 1 teas each cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg & ginger, 1 teas soda dissolved in 1 c. sour milk, 1/2 c. molasses, 1 teas baking powder in with about 2 c. flour, 1 c. nuts, 1 c. raisins

Boston Fudge Cake (Mrs. Edwards)

by Mrs Marvel

There appear to be a large variety of recipes on the internet for Boston Fudge Cake. Some are very modern and do not use sour milk, some use sour cream, some use buttermilk. From what I can tell, a fudge cake is going to be more like a brownie, more dense than a standard chocolate cake, and some have a pudding center. Some are served with icing, some as a layer cake, and some without icing, but with a chocolate or caramel pecan sauce topping. They all sound wonderful!

Boston Fudge Cake

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup shortening

Cream thoroughly. Add yolks of 2 eggs. Beat well. Then add 2 squares of bitter chocolate (melted) 1/2 up of water. Dissolve 1 teas. soda in the water. 1/2 cup sour milk. 2 cups sifted flour. Last of all fold in the beaten egg whites. Bake in a slow oven.

Devils Food Cake (May Rosemont)

by Mrs Marvel

You can’t beat a traditional Devils Food Cake. If you are anything like me, you wonder where some of these names for cakes come from. Devils Food is considered the opposite to Angel Food Cake – the light and airy sponge cake that my father loves. Devils Food is moist, rich and airy. The recipe first appeared in the early 20th century.

I bet you are now wondering what distinguishes Devils Food from regular chocolate cake. I was curious too. Some of the earliest recipes for Devils Food call for the inclusion of shredded cooked beets. These add moisture and give the cake a red tinge. Sounds a lot like Red Velvet cake, right? Red Velvet cake is generally topped with a white icing, where Devils Food calls for chocolate icing. Also, Devils Food will use cocoa or as in this case, shredded chocolate, as opposed to melted chocolate.

Over the last 100 years, the recipes for Devils Food and standard chocolate cake have become almost interchangeable, so another way to distinguish if you have a true Devils Food recipe is the inclusion of baking soda. This will up the ph of the cake batter, causing it to turn a bit more red – something about the reaction between the baking soda and the cocoa. Anyone who thinks baking is nothing like a chemistry experiment has never baked from scratch, heh.

This particular recipe is typical for the 20th century homemaker, in that she knows exactly what to do here. For those who aren’t as experienced, I have included my thoughts below in italics.

Devils Food Cake (May Rosemont)

1 cup grated chocolate, 1/2 c sweet milk, 2/3 c b[rown] sugar, 1 teasp vanilla. Beat together & boil 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 eggs beaten separately, 1/2 cup milk, level teas soda, 2 cups flouer [sic]. Add choc when cool. Bake in 2 layers , cover with choc icing.

Combine the grated chocolate, sweet milk, 2/3 c brown sugar & vanilla. Beat all together and bring to a boil.

Mix together the remaining ingredients, then add the chocolate mixture when it has cooled. Continue with baking as usual. 350 for 30 minutes, check for doneness with a toothpick.