Cookbook of the Week: Baker's Cut-Up Cake Party Book, circa 1973

The cookbook of the week is Baker's Cut-Up Cake Party Book, a little paperback cram-packed with ideas for celebrations and fancy, funny cakes around which to build parties.

Here's the front cover:

Tune in to the Cookbook Love page on Facebook for pictures, commentary, and recipes from this book all week long!

Chocolate Fluffernutter Cake

DiDi asked me to make a cake yesterday. She'd bought a Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix and a container of Betty Crocker Whipped Fluffy White Frosting.

  

Being a self-sacrificing sort, I complied.

I'd feel like a poser if I made a cake from a box without kicking things up a notch, so I substituted sour cream for the oil in the recipe and threw in 1/4 bag of mini chocolate chips.

She'd asked for coconut in the icing. Unfortunately I didn't have any, which is a mystery, because the last I knew there were two bags in the cabinet. Is shredded coconut like socks in the laundry, disappearing without a trace?

I wouldn't think so. But I can't explain it.

After accepting my apologies graciously, DiDi's second request was that I melt some peanut butter flavored chocolate chips and spread it around on top.

(I don't suppose I should call them chocolate chips when they aren't chocolate. But "baking chips" sounds a bit snooty, and this way you all know what I mean.)

Turns out the Whipped Fluffy White frosting is rather marshmallowy, and reminds me of Fluff.

I melted the chips with a bit of oil to help with consistency, and poured it in stripes atop the frosted cake, then pulled a spatula through in an attempt to make it look fancy. The peanut butter goo was a bit thick to cooperate fully, but the marbling wasn't bad. And the flavor combo is an absolute winner!

Yum! DiDi's suggestion was brilliant!  It was like a fluffernutter sandwich with chocolate cake as the bread!

Next time I might just mix peanut butter with confectioners sugar and milk to make a softer consistency... the chip goo hardened back up so that the prettiness factor is disrupted in the cutting. But other than that, the combination is fabulous.

Luckily we had guests last night so we aren't forced to eat the whole thing ourselves. Because that would be sad.

Wouldn't it?

12 Eggs and a Glass Full of Brandy Means it's Time for Divorce. I Mean, Dessert.

Time for dessert!

First off, apologies for the skewed image. It's a book, after all. An old book. I don't want to press it too flat, nor get my fingers in the shot.

While I'm on the subject, apologies generally for the horrible photography in my blog. I'm no Pioneer Woman. It's true.

Back to the recipe.

Having recently wrapped up a very painful and drawn out divorce, I can't help but love love love (translate <3 <3 <3) the name of this recipe.

I so get it.

With luck, in time, I will view marriage in a more favorable light. I believe in it intellectually,10,000%. Maybe even a million percent.

But.

Given where I am, so recently post-married that my flesh still stings and my emotions wince, the name of this cake is completely logical to me.

Not to mention the brandy. Though I would have included at least three wineglass fulls.

Better stock up on eggs.

What's for Dessert: Lemon Coconut Balls

I've been playing with variants of a recipe unimaginatively called "Cake Balls". Last night's version was a play on lemon meringue pie. I should have used lemon curd rather than lemon pie filling for additional tartness. Plus I'm still thinking about what to use for "crust" rather than coconut, something that won't get soggy.

Even so, they are delicious!

(Can't post the recipe here as I'm hoping to submit it to a few contests. I'll post it after it wins a million dollar bake off. Promise.)

Pork Cake. Let Mikey Try It.

In case the Sea Moss Pudding didn't cut it for you, perhaps you'll be a bigger fan of this recipe.

Just look at all the prettily decorated petit fours on the adjacent picture! Don't they look yummy?

Surely the recipes must be delicious. Surely.

Where the heck is Mikey when we need him???

Meals for Small Families

My bestest friend Diane picked up this little gem for me yesterday.

It was published in 1929 by Laidlaw Brothers Publishers, Chicago. I love the black and white illustrations, and the insight into kitchens of the era it provides. Check out the inside front cover:

Here's the table of contents, complete with a magazine ad pasted in over the copyright page. The Pillsbury ad contains a recipe for "Eatmor Cranberry-Apple Pie" (sic), complete with a politically incorrect picture of a musket-toting cherry-tomato pilgrim chasing a turkey:

Here's the title page:

I'm not sure what sort of dancing thing this is. Perhaps a tomato?

This recipe for Canadian Christmas Cake contains 6 cups of flour, 12 eggs, and more than 18 cups of fruit and nuts. Wonder what the quantities would be if the cookbook was aimed at large families?

One of the reasons I love old cookbooks is that they let you peek into the kitchens of their era. For example, in this book, many recipes call for washing the butter. A quick Googling disclosed the process. Click here if you'd like to learn how to wash your own butter, Fannie Farmer style circa 1918.

The introduction to the Cereals chapter reads as follows:

"Cooked cereals occupy an important food position on the average daily menu. These may be cold or hot. They make a good breakfast dish, easily prepared.

To be tasty and digestible, long cooking is required, averaging from 45 minutes to 3 hours in a double boiler, a fireless- or pressure-cooker. The cereal is easily prepared during the process of getting dinner. In cold weather the boiler can be set on the radiator and allowed to remain all night. This offers a very excellent form of long-time, slow cooking. In the morning, a few minutes will be sufficient to reheat the food."

The first recipe in this section is for Cream of Wheat, which specifies that you allow at least 45 minutes for cooking! Cornmeal mush and oatmeal should be cooked for 3 hours, and rice for 1 hour!

The Introduction to the Desserts chapter is also interesting. Looks like refrigerators were just becoming mainstream:

"With the modern iceless ice box maintaining an even temperature at all hours the dessert problem has been practically solved. Many concoctions are easily made in the freezing trays with a minimum amount of trouble and it is economy to make a desert sufficient for two meals when it can be kept in perfect condition. This saves both time and fuel.

Today, it is possible for a hostess to prepare most of a meal hours in advance of its actual serving. When preparing the dinner tonight she also can do much towards the actual preparation of dinner for tomorrow through the medium of the ice box."

I'm still going through this little treasure of a book, and will post a few special recipes from it over the next few days. Come back for more!