Homemade Cake Recipes

Old Fashioned Recipes For Cake From Grandma's Kitchen

President's Cake

The classic President's Cake pictured here is a luscious fruitcake which may be made for everyday family use without the fancy icing. Recipes for cake and icing are given below.

To make the President's cake, cut into small pieces and blend together 1/2 pound crystallized cherries, 1/2 pound crystallized pineapple, 1/8 pound orange paste or Turkish paste, 2-1/2 pounds raisins, and 1/2 pound citron, and soak overnight in 1/2 cup grape juice.

Cream 1 cup shortening and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat yolks of 6 eggs very light with 1/2 cup sugar -- combine the two; add 1/2 glass grape jelly, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon allspice.

Sift 1 teaspoon baking powder with 1-1/2 cups flour and add alternately with stiffly beaten whites of 6 eggs; then 2 teaspoons melted chocolate.

Sift 1 cup flour over fruit and add to beater; put in last 1/2 pound blanched and ground almonds, and 1/2 pound pecans.

Place in 3 loaf cake pans (the sides and bottom of which are lined with fitted greased heavy brown paper). Steam slowly for six hours. Place in slow oven (250°F) and allow to dry out for an hour.

This homemade cake recipe may be doubled exactly if a larger cake is desired. Makes 3 cakes in loaf pans 5 inches by 9 inches.

Fancy Icing Recipe For President's Cake

This icing could be used with other homemade cake recipes.

Cook 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water until it forms a fairly thick drop from tip of spoon (222°F).

Beat 4 egg whites with wire whisk. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat in 1/3 of the cooked syrup. Continue to cook the syrup until it threads very fine (230°F). Add another third of the syrup to the egg whites and beat in very thoroughly. Cook the remaining third of syrup until two drops fall at once from the spoon (250°F). Beat it into egg whites. Add 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

Cook over hot water, folding it over, but not beating, until thick enough to pile high without spreading and sinking.

Cool. When ready to use on cake, fold it over carefully until smooth and creamy. Makes about 1-1/2 quarts icing.

King Edward Cake

1/2 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 3 eggs well beaten, 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sour milk, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons molasses, 1 cup raisins (boiled in hot water). Mix as usual. Put raisins in last of all.

Prince Albert Cake

One half cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup raisins (which have been boiled), 2 tablespoons molasses, 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and cloves, 1 cup sour milk, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla, pinch of salt, 2 cups flour; bake in moderate oven about 20 minutes.

Feather Cake

A homemade cake recipe that's easy to make, and the cake is delicious.

1 scant cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup milk, 1-1/2 cups flour, whites of 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons baking powder, a little vanilla; cream butter and add gradually the sugar, then milk, flour, and baking powder; last the beaten whites of the eggs and vanilla.

English Chester Cake

One cup brown sugar, 1 heaping tablespoon butter, 3 eggs (saving out whites for frosting), 1 teaspoon pastry spice, 1/4 cup corn syrup, 1 small teaspoon baking soda, 1 cup biscuit crumbs. Line a pan with pastry and put mixture in, and bake 20 to 30 minutes.

For Cake Icing: Beat white of eggs stiff, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar slowly; put on cake when cold.

Victoria Sandwiches

This Victorian Era homemade cake recipe makes tiny cakes that are perfect for serving at parties, or an afternoon tea.

Ingredients: 6 ounces of flour, 4 ounces of granulated sugar, 2 ounces of butter, 3 eggs, 1teaspoonful of baking powder, a little milk, jam of your choice, pinch of salt.

Method: Stir the sugar and yolks of eggs together until thick and creamy, then add the butter melted. Pass the flour, baking powder, and a good pinch of salt through a sieve, stir it lightly into the rest of the ingredients, and add milk by degrees until the mixture drops readily from the spoon.

Now, whisk the whites of eggs stiffly, stir them in as lightly as possible, and pour the preparation into a well-buttered pudding tin.

Bake in a moderately hot oven for about 20 minutes, let it cool, split in halves, spread thickly with jam, replace the parts, and press lightly together. Cut into finger-shaped pieces, arrange them in groups of three, letting the layers cross each other, sprinkle liberally with granulated sugar, and serve.

Black Hill Cake

One cup sugar, butter size of an egg, 1 egg, 1 cup sweet milk, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (level), 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 pint flour.

Beat sugar and butter together well. Add other ingredients. Pour into buttered tin two-thirds of mixture, and to remaining third add: 2 tablespoons molasses, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon allspice. Stir together, and pour over top of first mixture. Bake in moderate oven.