AN OLD-FASHIONED VANILLA CAKE WITH A DUSTING OF ICING SUGAR, FRESH BERRIES AND CREAM
In my little household of two, too much milk and too little time to consume it is a very real problem. In a quest to ensure that I didn't wind up with sour milk down a drain, I went down a Pinterest rabbit hole and unearthed this little wonder.
The best part? I found this traditional American recipe on Yesterdish. They rescue recipe boxes across America and preserve as much of what’s there as possible. Felt fitting that a little food and recipe rescue went hand in hand in this instance.
It's moist, it's delicate and perfect for an afternoon of tea and cake. I served this with a healthy spoonful of cream and plenty of fresh berries. It can take up a smothering of light and creamy icing too. I would veer away from anything too sweet as the cake serves up plenty!
I CONFESS
The recipe serves a large volume of cake and uses up 1 Cup of milk. I should have baked it in two pans as suggested, but I decided to be lazy and go for one. I over-baked it just a little as I waited for the middle to cook, so had sides which could have been a little more moist. However, that didn't stop it from being an honest little cake that reminds you of how even the most basic ingredients can serve up a delicious treat!
Here's the original recipe card from Yesterdish - Recipe From the box of L.R. from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I have typed it out below and included the conversion in grams.
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Ingredients
4 eggs
2 cups (440g) sugar*
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups (250g) unsifted plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 cup milk
1 stick (115g) butter
* Note: Since writing this blog post, I have played around with the recipe to reduce its sugar content. You can reduce the sugar to 350g (1 3/4 Cup) and still retain the beautiful soft and fluffy texture of this cake.
Method
Beat eggs until light and lemon coloured, gradually adding sugar. Continue beating. Add vanilla.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Heat milk and butter until milk is hot and butter is melted.
Add flour mixture to egg mixture and blend. Stir in hot milk and butter. Blend together quickly and pour into greased 9-inch cake pans lined with baking paper. Bake in a 190°C (375°F) oven for 25 minutes or until cake tests done.
Serve with a dusting of icing sugar, a spoonful of cream and fresh berries.
Hero Products
Bulla Family Dairy - Dollop Thick Cream