8 Cherished Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Cake Recipes

There's a certain comfort in the air on Thanksgiving, a warmth that comes not just from the oven, but from the memories we share around the dinner table. For those looking to create new memories with a taste of the past, these Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Cake Recipes are a true treasure. Pulled from the pages of my Mom's cherished recipe scrapbooks from the 1920s, these aren't just desserts; they're a delicious slice of history, offering a wonderful alternative to traditional holiday pies.

Imagine the delight of your guests when you serve a scratch-made harvest cake, rich with the all-natural taste of apples, nuts, and spices. These time-tested recipes prove that the most memorable flavors are often the simplest. Join me in rediscovering these splendid cakes that have graced family tables and even formal White House dinners for over a century.

Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Cake Recipes from the White House

The White House Cook Book (1913)

These first recipes are adapted from "The White House Cook Book," a guide to elegant and practical home cooking from 1913. They carry a sense of history and occasion, perfect for making your Thanksgiving feast feel extra special.

Hearty Dried Apple Fruitcake

Soak three cupfuls of dried apples overnight in cold water enough to swell them; chop them in the morning and put them on the fire with three cups of molasses; stew until almost soft; add a cupful of nice raisins (seedless, if possible) and stew a few moments and remove from heat.

When cold, add three cupfuls of flour, one cupful of butter, three eggs, and a teaspoonful of baking soda; bake in a steady oven (325°F).

This traditional, old fashioned Thanksgiving cake recipe will make two good-sized panfuls of splendid fruitcake; the apples will cook like citron and taste delicious.

Raisins may be omitted; also, spices to taste may be added (for example, cinnamon and nutmeg). This is an inexpensive cake, yet it is delicious.

Elegant Walnut Layer Cake

Two cups of fine white sugar creamed with half a cup of butter, three eggs, two-thirds of a cup of sweet milk, three cups of sifted flour, one heaping teaspoonful of baking powder sifted through the flour; a tablespoonful (level) of powdered mace, 3/4 cup raisins, a coffee cup of hickory nut or walnut meats chopped a little, walnuts to decorate.

Fill the cake pans with a layer of the cake, then a layer of raisins upon that, then strew over these a handful of nuts, and so on until the pans are two-thirds full.

Line the tins with well-buttered paper and bake in a steady, but not quick, oven (about 325°F). This is a most excellent old fashioned Thanksgiving cake recipe.

Delicate Whipped Cream Cake

Once cupful of sugar and two tablespoonfuls of soft butter stirred together; add the yolks of two eggs well beaten, then add four tablespoonfuls of milk, some flavoring of choice, then the beaten whites of the eggs.

Mix a teaspoonful of cream of tartar and half a teaspoonful of baking soda in a cup of flour, sift it into the cake batter and stir lightly. Bake (300°F) in a small dripping pan.

When the cake is cool, have ready half a pint of sweet cream sweetened and whipped to a stiff froth, also flavored. Spread it over the cake while fresh. To whip the cream easily, set it on ice or in the ice box before whipping.

Cozy Thanksgiving Desserts from Grandma's Recipe Box

Mom's Recipe Scrapbooks (1920s)

These recipes come from a more personal source: my Mom's handwritten scrapbooks. They are filled with comforting, no-fuss desserts that speak of home, family, and the simple joys of a shared meal.

Carrot Cake Baked in Pastry Shell

Rub four good-sized, cooked carrots through a sieve, add two tablespoonfuls of ground almonds, three tablespoonfuls of sugar, the grated rind and strained juice of half a lemon, the well-beaten yolks of four eggs, three tablespoonfuls of melted butter, and the whites of the eggs beaten stiffly with a pinch of salt.

Pour mixture into a small baking dish that has been lined with pastry. Bake in a hot oven (425°F) until ready and serve hot or cold, cut in squares.

Autumn Maple Nut Cake

Cream 1/3 cup shortening with 1 cup light-brown sugar; add 2 egg yolks, mix well and add 3/4 cup milk; sift together 1-1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 level teaspoons baking powder; add 1 cup finely chopped nuts, preferably pecans, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Bake in greased loaf pan in moderate oven (375°F) 35 minutes. —Mrs. D. V. Canning

Maple Icing

1/2 teaspoon butter and 2 teaspoons hot milk; add 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar to make a smooth paste; add 1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring and spread on cake; sprinkle with chopped nuts. —Mrs. D. V. Canning

Spiced Old Time Crumb Cake

For this crumb cake take two cupfuls of flour, half a pound of breadcrumbs, one egg, a quarter of a pound of currants, half a cupful of sugar, a quarter of a pound of lard, one teaspoonful of baking powder, one teaspoonful of mixed spices, and some milk.

Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl, rub in the lard, add the currents, sugar and breadcrumbs, then add the beaten egg and enough milk to make a nice dough. Put into a buttered tin and bake (325°F) until a skewer will come out dry.

Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Icing

Pumpkin Bar Directions:

4 eggs
1-2/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl beat together eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the combined dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and beat together well.

Pour your mixture into a lightly buttered jellyroll pan and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Always test for doneness.

Allow to cool before cutting into bars and adding the festive cream cheese icing.

Festive Cream Cheese Icing

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk

Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. Add just enough milk to help get a nice spreading consistency.

If desired, you can add a few drops of yellow or orange (combine drops of red and yellow) food coloring to make them appear more festive in the traditional Thanksgiving and Autumn colors.

Traditional Steamed Pumpkin Brown Bread

Two cupfuls of pumpkin juice squeezed from the pulp, three cupfuls of yellow cornmeal, three cupfuls of rye meal, half a cupful of molasses, one teaspoonful of salt, two cupfuls of milk, and one teaspoonful of baking soda.

Mix all these ingredients together, beat well, and turn into a buttered tin, cover with buttered paper, and steam for five hours.

Grandma's Cake Success Tips

The old fashioned Thanksgiving cake recipes use terms and techniques that might be unfamiliar today. Here's a little guide to help you bake as Grandma did! For instance, understanding Oven Temperatures. Old baking recipes often used descriptive terms instead of exact degrees. Here's a general guide:

• Slow Oven (as in Whipped Cream Cake): Approximately 300°F to 325°F. Good for delicate cakes that need to bake gently.
• Steady or Moderate Oven (as in Fruitcake or Maple Nut Cake): Approximately 325°F to 375°F. This is the standard for most cakes.
• Hot Oven (as in Carrot Cake in Pastry): Approximately 400°F to 450°F. Used  often for pastries that need to puff up quickly.