Vintage Recipe: Never Fail Sour Cream Cake

One of the things I've been doing during the Covid-19 stay-at-home time is trying recipes from my entirely-too-large collection of cookbooks and recipe boxes.  In our daily meals, I've tried not to duplicate dishes very often.  At one point, Nancy actually asked, "Couldn't we just have tried-and-true foods during this time?"  We've had a lot of that too, but I'm having a great time experimenting.  Several times, I've found recipes that are excellent, but there have been some not-so-good ones too.

A recipe that I'm really pleased with comes from my 1926 West Pottawattamie County Farm Bureau Women's Cookbook.  Longtime blog readers will remember me mentioning this cookbook before in this post. I've been making sure that we have always had some kind of home-baked sweet on hand during our extended stay-at-home time.  Neither of us needs the extra calories, but if a nice homemade cookie or piece of cake isn't available, we have a bad habit of eating even worse things in order to satisfy the sweet tooth we both have.

I'm excited to bring you this recipe because it has truly lived up to its name, and it is simple and fast but also quite flexible.  For those readers who are off-grid, it's very easy to mix this cake by hand, and it's made of things that are readily found in most kitchens.  The only thing that some people may not always have on hand is the sour cream.  However, that is a staple in our refrigerator. 

This recipe was contributed to the cookbook by a Mrs. Belle Sharp, and she attached this note: "This is an excellent cake recipe for a busy farmer's wife who wants a hurry-up cake."

Here are the required ingredients:

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
flavoring to taste
1 1/2 cups flour

The procedure is as follows:

a) Beat the egg.

b) Beat in the sugar.

I beat the egg and the sugar together until they are what my
great-grandmother called "lemon-colored."  It doesn't take long.

c) Beat in the sour cream.

d) Add the remaining dry ingredients and the flavoring.  Beating for only a little while after the flour has been added.

I used cake flour (a tad more than 1 1/2 cups) instead of all-purpose for this plain yellow cake version, and I added about a 1/2 tsp. vanilla, a 1/2 teaspoon lemon flavoring, and a 1/2 tsp. almond extract.  I know that sounds like an odd combination, but that is what my great-grandma Ruth used to flavor yellow cakes, and, trust me, it is surprisingly delicious.

e) There were no instructions on how large a cake pan to use, but judging from the amount of batter I had, I greased a 9" square baking tin, and it was perfect.

Now, the pictures that you see here are actually of the second time that I baked this cake, and it so happened that this was during the week that my brother's Ward's Economy Cookstove was here in our summer kitchen in early June.  Thus, you see it baking in that stove in the pictures below.

There were no instructions for how long to bake this cake, but cake baking is pretty straightforward stuff.  If you blow up the picture above, you can see that the oven thermometer is registering 350ºF.  A moderate oven until the cake tested done did the job beautifully.

I frosted this one with a white buttercream icing that was flavored with vanilla and almond.

For the Spice Cake Version:

The original directions on this recipe say, "If wanted, add 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg."  I confessed above that the pictures you just saw were of the second time I baked this cake.  The first time I baked it, I added the raisins and spices, and then I frosted it with browned butter frosting.  I should confess that I didn't add a whole half teaspoon of cloves; it was more like a quarter teaspoon.  My Grandma Marian taught me to be cautious about cloves because they are so powerful.  The cake was very good, but I took no pictures.

I used all purpose flour in this version of the cake, and the texture was nearly identical to the yellow cake version above that was actually made second.  This cake was baked in the Margin Gem back in May.

To Make a Chocolate Cake:

With two successes under my belt, I thought, "You know, I bet this could be made as a chocolate cake."  I was right!  I reduced the flour to 1 and 1/4 cups (plus a little more since I used cake flour) and added a 1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa.  I still put a little vanilla flavoring in, too.  Frosted with a little chocolate frosting, it was superb.

The cocoa and the flour going into the chocolate
version of the cake.

The chocolate version was baked out in the Hayes-Custer
cookstove in the summer kitchen.

The finished chocolate cake.

Now, each of the three cakes listed above were good.  They were all eaten with no problems and no complaints, and we shared them with others, too.  To be completely honest, though, I felt like their texture was just slightly chewy.

As I was preparing to write this post back in June, I was reflecting on the age of the recipe and figured that especially with the note that was attached to it about being a great recipe for "a busy farmwife," this was probably originally made with "country" sour cream.  "Country" sour cream is an old-timey cookbook term which denoted cream which had soured naturally.  It is an entirely different product from "commercial" sour cream, which is the cultured dairy product that is sold in the plastic tubs.  The Kitchen Klatter Cookbook that I have frequently mentioned on this blog is always careful to denote which kind of sour cream is used in its recipes, for example.

During the ten-plus years that I kept a family cow (How I wish my dairy cow had freshened this year!), it seemed like I could never keep up with the churning, and I always had "country" sour cream in the fridge.  Truthfully, I am embarrassed by the amount of sour cream I just plain threw out during those years.  I figured farmwives in the 1920s would have been much more likely to have "country" sour cream and decided to try it.

Well, I had to wait a long time before my pasteurized, store-bought cream soured.  I know I could have hastened the process with some vinegar, but I wanted to hold out for the naturally occurring product.  It was well worth the wait!  Again, I apologize for the lack of pictures--you'll just have to take my word for it--but this cake was perfect in volume and texture.  It was not a bit chewy but was exactly what we all think of when we hear the word "cake."  I attribute this to the higher fat content of "country" sour cream.

What was strange about it, though, was that each time I opened the cellophane that covered it, I got a definite whiff of "country" sour cream.  I could never taste that, though.  I only mention it because I know it may turn some people off.  If that is the case, I would recommend making the spice cake or chocolate versions.  If you have cream that has soured, this cake is a perfect way to keep from wasting it.

You can see that this recipe has truly never failed in the four different times and different ways (and three different cookstoves) I have made it.  It is extremely easy to mix, is made with common ingredients, and comes together quickly.  Try it, and I know you'll want to add it to your recipe box. 

Update 10/3/20:

I've now made this cake two more times and wanted to add that souring heavy whipping cream with a little lemon juice has worked very well, too.  The last two times, I've made the spice cake version, and I really like the combination of 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. ground cloves.  This is perfect with browned butter frosting.

Cheating with Your Wood Cookstove: Gooey Butter Cake

A quick internet search reveals that Gooey Butter Cake is a pretty common recipe, but I didn't know that several years ago when I found this recipe in the back of my mother-in-law's mini-van.  It had been written on a fancy recipe card and then photocopied onto an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper.  It was attributed to someone named Hilda and neither Leona nor anyone else in the family knew where the recipe had come from.  No one knew Hilda, and no one even recognized the handwriting on the recipe card!

I made this according to the recipe the first time, but I wasn't that impressed.  I tweaked it just a bit this time, and the reviews are better, but I still wouldn't call this a stellar dessert.  However, if you need something a little exciting but don't have much time, this could do in a pinch, and because it is so rich, a little goes a long way.

For the bottom layer, here is what you will need:

1 chocolate cake mix (this is why I call this recipe cheating)
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla

The original recipe called for a yellow cake mix, but my first change was to use a chocolate one.  I would say that yellow cake is probably my favorite, and if given a choice, chocolate cake is the last thing I would take. However, the bottom layer of this cake has kind of a brownie texture, so I opted for a chocolate cake mix, and that suits my eaters much better.   Lately, I've taken to putting about a tsp. of burnt sugar flavoring into brownies, so I also added that.  If you are unable to find burnt sugar flavoring, you can fairly easily make your own burnt sugar syrup.

As always when baking in a wood cookstove, the first step is to build your fire and begin heating your oven to the desired temperature.  You need a moderate oven for this cake, and I think it is best to shoot for around 325ºF.

While your oven is heating, begin melting your butter over the coolest part of the cooktop.

Combine the melted butter, cake mix, eggs, vanilla, and burnt sugar flavoring.  This could be done by hand, but I used an electric mixer because the mixture is so stiff.

Once everything is thoroughly combined, transfer to a greased 9"x13" baking pan.

Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan, spreading evenly all the way to the edges.  Buttered fingertips make this process a bit easier.

For the second layer you will need these ingredients:

1 pound of powdered sugar

8 oz. softened cream cheese

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all of these ingredients until smooth.  Again, I used an electric mixer.

Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the cake mixture.  I am careful to not let it touch the edges of the pan.

Bake in a moderate oven for about 40 minutes.  "Hilda" forbid me from peeking during this time, but I did take a gander in the oven at about thirty-eight minutes.  I think it is generally bad wood cookstove practice to never peek.  Mind you, I'm not advocating opening the oven door every few seconds, but we have to be reasonable.  When Meme taught me to bake, she never used a timer for anything.  In fact, she didn't even own a timer. Instead, we would take casual looks at the kitchen clock and rely on the sense of touch and sight.

I used to have a blind friend who could tell whether something was done baking by the smell of it.  However, wood cookstove ovens are not vented into the kitchen, and the Margin Gem even has a gasket around the oven door, so you can rarely smell baked goods until you open the oven door at least a crack.  

What Gooey Butter Cake looks like when it is done baking.
If you look closely at the oven thermometer, you can see that
the oven was running at about 325ºF.  I wouldn't go much
hotter than that.

Remove from the oven and cool completely.  You could eat this cake at this point, but I have to say that I think this one benefits quite a bit from being covered very tightly and refrigerated for at least a day.

These are extremely rich, and I find that a 1"x1" square is plenty to satisfy my sweet tooth for quite a while.

I hope you enjoy them!

Baking an Angel Food Cake from Scratch in a Woodburning Cookstove

As the days get longer and warmer and the chickens begin to be more reliable about laying, baking an angel food cake from scratch is a great way to use an over abundance of eggs.  Now, many people think that angel food cakes are one of the most difficult things to bake, but I have had a great deal of success baking angel food cakes in woodburning cookstoves.  In fact, I honestly prefer to bake angel food in a woodburning range over a modern oven.  It seems to me that they remain more moist than when they are baked in our gas oven.

For as long as I can remember, the most frequently requested birthday cake on my mom's side of the family has been an angel food cake.  My grandma Marian is an expert on angel food cake baking, and until recently, she would bake many of these cakes throughout each year for friends, neighbors, and family members.  For my brother and sister and me, it never felt like our birthday until we had an angel food cake with caramel frosting.  Others in the family occasionally requested different frostings, but the cake was always the tender, cloud-like angel food that we all loved.

Directions for baking angel food cakes have changed over the years.  Originally, it was considered best to bake angel food cakes for a long period in a slow oven, the heat of which was gradually increased during the baking time.  For example, Grandma Ruth (my great-grandmother whom I have mentioned frequently on the blog) included these baking instructions on her angel food cake recipe:

"Bake at 275 for 20 minutes, 300 for 30 minutes, and 325 for 10 minutes."

In fact, in the December 1937 issue of Kitchen Klatter Magazine, the following article about baking angel food cakes in a woodburning cookstove was contributed by reader Helen F. Karr of Doniphan, Nebraska:

"I have my fire out and my stove cold.  I put my fuel in and have it ready to light before I start to mix my cake.  I mix my cake just as you do your cake and put it in the pan, then into the cold oven.  I light my fire.  I do not put much fuel in at a time because our stove doesn't take much to heat it.  For the first 15 minutes I just have my oven warm up.  Then increase the heat for the next 15 minutes.  By the next 15 minutes I have my oven about hot enough to bake a loaf cake, then keep it about the same for the next 15 minutes or just a little hoter [sic].  If not done I just let the oven cool down a little.  The heat that is in the oven will finish it.  I don't like to have my oven to get hot too fast."

Sometime in the mid-twentieth century, opinions about how to bake an angel food changed so that directions now call for oven temperatures ranging between 350 and 400 degrees coupled with shorter baking times.  I have used both baking methods and cannot tell much difference in the end product.  I tend to favor the cooler oven temperature method, however.

Before I give you the recipe that I use for angel food, I need to warn you that not even the smallest little bit of fat or grease may come into contact with your cake ingredients or any of the utensils that you use to mix or bake the cake.  The presence of any oils will make your cake fall, and that is the last thing you want after you go to all of the effort to make an angel food cake from scratch!

The recipe that I use for angel food cake is one that I have devised.  I took one of the recipes for angel food out of the Kitchen Klatter Cook Book and altered it until I got the results that I desired.  This makes a very tall, finely textured cake.  Here is what you will need:

Jim's Angel Food Cake

1 1/6 c. cake flour

1 3/4 c. powdered sugar

1 3/4 c. egg whites

1 1/6 c. sugar

1 3/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond flavoring

The first thing that I always do is to measure the cake flour and the powdered sugar.  I measure both by sifting them into dry measuring cups and then leveling them off with a table knife.

Of course, most people don't have a 1/6 c. measuring cup, so I just use my 1/3 c. and fill it only halfway.

Once you have measured and combined the cake flour and powdered sugar, you must sift both of them together at least three times.  This is necessary because when you eventually stir them into the egg whites, you want to make sure that they are already evenly mixed.  Once you have sifted them together several times, put the flour and powdered sugar mixture aside.

Now begin separating your eggs.  The number of eggs that you will need is totally dependent on their size.  I just keep cracking and separating eggs until I have the required 1 3/4 c. of egg whites.  Usually, this is about 12-14 eggs.

Caution:  You must be absolutely sure that no egg yolk--not even the smallest little bit--accidentally lands in your egg whites!  The presence of any egg yolk will result in your cake falling.  This is why I separate my eggs over  a small bowl.  That way, I can inspect every white thoroughly before pouring it into the measuring cup.

Save the egg yolks for making homemade noodles or for Sunshine Cake (or both, depending on how many you have).  Place the whites in a large mixing bowl and add the salt and cream of tartar.  Begin beating the egg whites on high speed.

(A silly side note about the mixer in the pictures: This vintage avocado green Sunbeam belonged to Granny, my dad's mother.  I inherited it from her in 1995 when she and Gramps moved into a retirement home.  When I was little, almost every appliance that my mother had was avocado green.  We had an avocado green refrigerator, stove, iron, vacuum cleaner, electric skillet, blender, etc., and I think that it is the most hideous color.  However, I decided that I would use Granny's mixer until I had worn it out.  After twenty years of fairly hard use, it's still working fine, and this is after Granny used it for I don't know how long!)

When the whites become foamy, begin gradually adding the granulated sugar.

Continue beating at high speed, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.

Now for the fun part: figuring out when the egg whites and sugar have been sufficiently beaten.  Some recipes say to beat them until "stiff, but not dry, peaks form."

Grandma Ruth had a different method for determining if the egg whites were beaten enough, and it has worked for me every time.  She would take the bowl of egg whites off the mixer and carefully raise it upside down above her head.  If the egg whites don't fall out, they have been beaten enough.  If, as you begin to tilt the bowl at a dangerous angle, they begin to slide even a little bit, put the bowl back on the mixer and beat them some more.  Then, take the bowl off and try the test again.

Be careful, though!  If the egg whites are permitted to fall all the way out of the bowl, you'll have no choice but to start over completely.

Once the egg whites are done, begin folding the cake flour/powdered sugar mixture into them a little at a time.  My grandma Marian taught me that the best tool to use to do this is a flat beater as you see in the picture below.

This process has to be done VERY gently, being sure to pull the egg whites up from the bottom of the bowl.  The series of photos below shows the motion that your beater should cycle through.

The picture above shows the vanilla and almond flavoring being stirred in at the end.  Grandma Marian always taught me to add the flavorings last so that they didn't lose any of their intensity due to evaporation during the mixing process.

The cake that you see me baking here was for my niece, whose favorite colors are pink and purple.  We happened to have pink nonpareils, so I stirred some of those in to create a pink "fun-fetti" effect.  If you are going to stir in nonpareils, they must be put in at the end with only a minimal amount of stirring because their color quickly begins to bleed into the cake batter.

Gently pour the cake batter into an UNGREASED angel food cake pan.

Run a table knife through the batter to release any air bubbles.

Place the cake in a slow oven (or whatever temperature you have decided at which to bake angel food cakes).

The oven door of the Margin Gem.  Since the temperature gauge
on the Margin Gem is not very accurate, I don't usually pay much
attention to the numbers.  Instead, I pay attention to the relative
location of the indicator needle.  This is what the gauge looks like
when the oven is running at about 325.

While the cake is baking, I gradually add more small pieces of fuel to the fire in order to gradually increase the heat of the oven.  Don't add too many pieces at once because you don't need a raging inferno, and small pieces will afford you more control.

You can see in the picture below, how tall the cake will rise during baking.  Angel foods will shrink back down when they get to the end of their baking time.

An angel food cake baking in the Margin Gem cookstove.

Watch the cake and your oven temperature carefully during baking.  I don't like to let the oven get too hot because then the top of the cake gets too brown for my taste.

I would NOT recommend turning the cake until it is close to the end of the total baking time because you don't want to run the risk of it falling because you jostled it.

You can tell when the cake is done by the fact that it will obviously begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and turn it upside down.  The cake pan that I use no longer has the three little legs that most angel food cake pans have which elevate them off the surface that they are resting on when they are upside down.  This makes no difference to me, though, because  the cakes are often too tall for those little legs to be effective anyway.  Thus, I turn the cake upside down over a vintage Pepsi bottle that I have saved just for this purpose.   (If you are a Coke lover, you could use a Coke bottle instead, but I wouldn't guarantee the results.  My grandma turns her canning funnel upside down and then puts a wooden handled cookie cutter over the narrow hole and uses that in place of a bottle.)

The cake needs to be left upside down in the pan until you can no longer feel any heat at all when you place your hand on the bottom of the pan.

Once the cake is completely cool, run a very thin-bladed, non-serrated knife around the outer edge of the cake as well as around the center tube of the pan.  I find it best to not move the knife up and down at all, but rather slide it all the way around with the blade completely inserted the whole time.  This seems to prevent the cake from bunching up and creating holes along the outside.

Invert the pan and remove the cake to a cake stand.  

Grandma Marian always says that if you want a particularly elegant angel food, you should rub the brown outer edge pieces off with your fingers.  If you decide to do that, don't discard them.  They are extremely tasty.

At this point, I always frost any angel food that we are not selling.  My favorite frostings to put on angel foods are either caramel (a cooked frosting that I really should share with you) or plain powdered sugar icing with almond flavoring added to it.

To serve an angel food, cut it with a serrated bread knife using a back-and-forth sawing motion rather than a slicing motion.  If you slice, you will mash the cake into a misshapen and unappetizing blob.

Angel food cakes will keep at room temperature for a few days, but you must not seal them completely.  I find that Grandma Marian's method of laying the knife that you are using to cut the cake between the lid and the bottom of the cake stand--thereby creating a little ventilation--does a beautiful job of keeping the cake in its prime.  If the cake stand is completely sealed (other than in transport), the cake will quickly become a soggy mess.

If you have a favorite method of baking an angel food in a wood cookstove, please fill up the comments field with additional information for us all to benefit from.