Destress with Vintage Cake Recipes

Did you know that baking could lower your stress levels? Any activity that gets our mind engaged in activities that are creative and fun can lower our stress levels, and couldn’t we all use some of that this year!

Cake Recipes of Yesteryear

I don’t know about you but sitting around reading recipe books on a cold, rainy, or snowy day is very relaxing. I have the good fortune of being the keeper of our family’s vintage cookbooks, some dating back to the 1800s. I also have an old recipe box chock full of handwritten recipes from family members that have passed on that bring back some wonderful memories!

Cola Cake

Anyone that used to go to church socials decades ago, especially in the south, will probably remember Cola Cake. If you love the taste of cola this cake is not overly sweet but you will definitely be able to taste the cola more in the frosting than in the cake itself.

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 can Cola-not diet or sugar-free
• 1 cup butter or 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1 can Cola, not sugar-free or diet
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13×9-in. baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk or sift the first 5 ingredients. In a small saucepan, combine cola, olive oil, and cocoa; bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.
3. In a small bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until blended; add to flour mixture, stirring constantly.
4. Pour the batter into a prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. About 15 minutes before the cake is done, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan, bring cola to a boil; cook 12-15 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about a 1/2 cup. Stir in olive oil and cocoa until olive is blended into ingredients; remove from heat. Add confectioners’ sugar; stir until smooth. Pour immediately over hot cake.

Tomato Soup Cake

Most people when they hear about putting tomato soup in a cake can’t imagine why you would do that, and secondly that it doesn’t sound very appetizing. But, funny enough Tomato Soup Cake is the closest to spice cake or carrot cake you can get minus the carrots!

Tomato Soup Cake is an old family favorite and I share the recipe below. It produces a moist and slightly spicy cake that is a great keeper, as my Grandma used to say and no one will ever know that it has tomato soup as an ingredient.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 -10 3/4 oz can condensed tomato soup
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup raisins

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. I like to use coconut oil shortening.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. Add the soup, butter or olive oil, eggs, and water, using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Fold in the raisins. Pour the batter into the pan you’ve prepared.
3. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let the cake cool completely.
4. Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting. I like to add a hint of cinnamon to my cream cheese frosting when I am frosting this cake.

Chocolate Beet Cake

There’s a hidden ingredient in this cake that no one would ever guess–beets! When you mention chocolate and beets in the same recipe you get some interesting responses if someone hasn’t eaten this wonderful cake before.

They range from yuck to why would you want to put chocolate and beets together. Well, they say opposites attract and beets add an amazing moistness to this chocolate cake making it a true winner! This was one of our favorite birthday cakes growing up.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups beets, cooked and cooled or the equivalent of canned beets, I have used both with equal success
• 1/2 cup butter, melted, cooled
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 medium eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted unbleached flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Grate the beets until you have about 2 cups, I think this is easier to accomplish with canned beets that have been drained. You want to safely drain the beets so they don’t stain your sink. I use a metal mixing bowl and metal colander and it works great!
2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray two 9″ round cake pans with a non-stick cooking spray, I like coconut oil spray and dust them lightly with cocoa powder and set them aside.
3. In a large metal mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, oil, sugars, and maple syrup/honey until thoroughly combined.
4. Add eggs and vanilla and stir to mix thoroughly.
5. In a separate large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir to mix together well.
7. Add beets and stir to combine. After you have made this once and you have used metal bowls for your mixing, you will be thankful because it is so tough to get out beet stains.
8. Pour mixed batter into prepared cake pans and use a spatula to even the top if needed.
9. Bake cakes for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in pan for 15-30 minutes. Loosen the cakes from the pans and let finish cooling on wire racks.
10. Use your favorite frosting to frost the cake first between layers, then top, and finally the sides. Our family prefers chocolate frosting, but this cake is good with any number of different frostings, be adventurous!

Special Surprise in March–A Recipe Contest!

We have a recipe contest coming in March and we’d love it if everyone would participate! Because everyone can be a winner in this contest! Prizes and special deals are available for those who submit recipes and recipe photos. We are giving you some advance notice so you can start playing with recipes that use Tastealotta ingredients. All the details will be in the March Newsletter–so stay tuned!