Classic Cakes That Need Resurrecting

[maggiethecat]

I The Perfect Cake by Susan Purdy.

Amazon got my order yesrterday.

[Marlene]

Word

Please  someone tell me what this means?

Edited April 25, 2003 by Marlene (log)

[Marlene]

I The Perfect Cake by Susan Purdy.

Amazon got my order yesrterday.

I ordered this from Amazon.ca today. And since I was there........I ordered this as well!

Two more for my total Maggie

[Elizabeth_11]

Word

Please  someone tell me what this means?

Word.="I concur" for all you who are not down with tha lingo

[Marlene]

Word

Please  someone tell me what this means?

Word.="I concur" for all you who are not down with tha lingo

Thank you, thank you

[Ye-Ye Girl]

Oh man, now I need to bake some cakes!

As kids, my sibs & I could have whatever we wanted from my mom's repertoire for our birthday dinner, including dessert. Red Velvet was always one sister's request, while my other sister and brother had Mississippi Mud Cake every year. Oddly, I don't think I had a favorite cake. If it had lots of frosting, I was into it. Except my mom's angel food cake, which happily hasn't gone out of style. It was so good, it didn't need icing.

My mom also made 7-Up Cake, which I remember being pretty good. I'll have to dig up the recipe and see if it's similar to Coca-Cola Cake. She also made Wacky Cake, and one called a $100 Cake - it was a chocolate cake with a ton of chocolate-nut icing, flavored with lemon extract. I helped her make that one back in February for my grandpa's 90th birthday. Another favorite was a chocolate cake called Dump Cake, so named because you mixed everything all together at once, in one bowl, then dumped it into a 9" square cake pan for baking. We'd eat it warm out of the oven, with butter melted on top. That was comfort food at its best.

[trillium]

Other classics on my "revival list" include:  Coconut Layer Cake

I am almost sure I will make that on Saturday for my baby boy's first birthday. I can't wait to see what he does with the coconut frosting.

The spouse actually made his first birthday cake last weekend for moi, and it was a coconut layer cake out of Cook's Illustrated. I remember it fondly from church potlucks as a kid, but I gotta say, we halved the frosting (only 2 layers) and it was still way, way too sweet for me. Like scrape the frosting off the middle too sweet. The icing was a buttercream made just with eggwhites. Have my tastes changed or are there less sweet versions?

regards,

trillium

[jersey13]

Other classics on my "revival list" include:  Coconut Layer Cake

I am almost sure I will make that on Saturday for my baby boy's first birthday. I can't wait to see what he does with the coconut frosting.

The spouse actually made his first birthday cake last weekend for moi, and it was a coconut layer cake out of Cook's Illustrated. I remember it fondly from church potlucks as a kid, but I gotta say, we halved the frosting (only 2 layers) and it was still way, way too sweet for me. Like scrape the frosting off the middle too sweet. The icing was a buttercream made just with eggwhites. Have my tastes changed or are there less sweet versions?

regards,

trillium

What you're describing sounds like 7 minute frosting which is like marshmallow fluff on cake( a classic for coconut layer cake). Yup, it's sweet alright, but I haven't seen it done any other way. You could try one of the fancier buttercreams (italian meringue+ LOTS of butter), but they are a bit more complicated to make. However, the end product is smooth as silk and not sickeningly sweet.

[elyse]

There's also a Cola cake on foodtv's site.

[Xanthippe]

Other classics on my "revival list" include:  Coconut Layer Cake

I am almost sure I will make that on Saturday for my baby boy's first birthday. I can't wait to see what he does with the coconut frosting.

Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod. We have a neighborhood pharmacy that has a restaurant at one end. The food is OK, but not great. Solid shakes. Vanilla and Cherry Cokes with real syrup. Freshly made orangeade. But the reason to go to this place is for their desserts, particularly their coconut layer cake. It is the single richest, most decadent dessert I have ever eaten. I often go there for a side salad and coconut cake. You don't need much else.

One other aspect of a cake that I'm not sure has been mentioned is sea foam icing. Very popular down here.

Oh, maaannnnn!!! Just as I'm resigning myself to the fact that my mama's up and moved to New Hampshire, Varmint has to regale us with a description of his neighborhood pharmacy's coconut layer cake!! Varmint, where in North Carolina do you live? What's the pharmacy's name?? Do they ship their desserts??? I'm going nuts here!

hjshorter, please take pix of your son's frosting adventures . . .

[Varmint]

The name of the pharmacy is the Hayes Barton Pharmacy, and the restaurant in the back is the Hayes Barton Cafe & Dessertery. This is in the 5 Points area of Raleigh. You may be able to order a cake, but I just don't know how well it will ship.

Hayes Barton Cafe & Dessertery

2000 Fairview Rd., Raleigh, NC 27608

Phone: (919) 856-8551

[TrishCT]

Another tried and true recipe that's in Purdy's A Piece of Cake is the Crazy Mixed Up Chocolate Cake. It's one of those cakes you mix right in the baking pan - no messing up bowls, whisks, etc. You just need a spoon and the baking pan. I have other recipes for this type of cake, but Purdy's tastes the best to me. Not too sweet and a good chocolate flavour. It takes 4 minutes to put together plus baking time -- about the same time as a cake mix. Also, it's lowfat and no cholesterol -- no eggs and uses only about a 1/3 cup vegetable oil. It still amazes me that a cake can be good with so little fuss.

This is the same recipe I was referring to as "Wacky Cake."

[Varmint]

My mother always made a Texas Sheet Cake. What the hell does Texas have to do with a boring chocolate cake???

[Rhea_S]

I just remembered cakes I love: pudding cakes (and I don't mean cakes made with instant pudding although I always have a slice or two of pistachio cake when it's brought to a potluck). Whenever I need a quick dessert fix in cooler weather, I'll usually make a chocolate pudding cake spiked with some sort of liquer and chopped nuts. In warmer weather, it's a citrus pudding cake served alone or with fresh berries. I love cake with thick, gooey sauce and it's even better when you don't have to make the two separately.

[TrishCT]

My mother always made a Texas Sheet Cake.  What the hell does Texas have to do with a boring chocolate cake???

We could have a thread about different names for the same cake recipe... "Texas Sheet Cake" is a/k/a "Buttermilk Brownies." Wacky Cake=Crazy Mixed Up Cake .... There is a recipe for a cake that uses a lemon cake mix and apricot nectar.... I have heard about 10 different names for it.

[hjshorter]

There is a recipe for a cake that uses a lemon cake mix and apricot nectar....  I have heard about 10 different names for it.

Oh wow, I forgot about that one! My mom made it all the time. She called it Lemon Supreme cake. I had apricot nectar and a lemon juice/confectioners sugar glaze.

[hjshorter]

But the reason to go to this place is for their desserts, particularly their coconut layer cake.  It is the single richest, most decadent dessert I have ever eaten. I often go there for a side salad and coconut cake.  You don't need much else.

Oh, maaannnnn!!! Just as I'm resigning myself to the fact that my mama's up and moved to New Hampshire, Varmint has to regale us with a description of his neighborhood pharmacy's coconut layer cake!! Varmint, where in North Carolina do you live? What's the pharmacy's name?? Do they ship their desserts??? I'm going nuts here!

hjshorter, please take pix of your son's frosting adventures . . .

I believe I heard about that cake from you at the ball game, Varmint. I am definitely stopping in Raleigh on my way to Charlotte next month.

And yes, I'm sure there will be plenty of pics of Ian's frosting encounter!

[Xanthippe]

The name of the pharmacy is the Hayes Barton Pharmacy, and the restaurant in the back is the Hayes Barton Cafe & Dessertery.  This is in the 5 Points area of Raleigh.  You may be able to order a cake, but I just don't know how well it will ship.

Hayes Barton Cafe & Dessertery

2000 Fairview Rd., Raleigh, NC 27608

Phone: (919) 856-8551

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I really wouldn't care about the cake's appearance after shipping, as long as it tasted as good as your description. I'm going to call these folks posthaste.

Looking forward to the frosting adventure pix . . .

[Marlene]

Start posting recipes folks. We can create a category "oldies but goodies"

[Aurora]

Lemon Crunch Pound Cake - It has a ribbon layer of lemon filling and a cruchy lemon crumble top.

[maggiethecat]

IThe Perfect Cake by Susan Purdy.

Amazon got it to my door yesterday, and I must say it appears to be all Nightscotsman says. I am terrifically excited about baking form this book.

The sections on fillling, icings, frostings looks especially useful.

There are several classic cakes here that a northerner like me has never heard of. I think I'll try Lane Cake first. Can any input, Alabamans?

Thanks, Nightscottie.

Edited April 30, 2003 by maggiethecat (log)

[claire797]

IThe Perfect Cake by Susan Purdy.

Amazon got it to my door yesterday, and I must say it appears to be all Nightscotsman says. I am terrifically excited about baking form this book.

The sections on fillling, icings, frostings looks especially useful.

There are several classic cakes here that a northerner like me has never heard of. I think I'll try Lane Cake first. Can any input, Alabamans?

Thanks, Nightscottie.

Maggie,

I've only seen pictures of Lane Cakes and they always look so beautiful. Can you take a picture of yours? Lane Cakes are the one that use a bunch of egg yolks, Right? I think I get Lane Cakes mixed up with Lord Baltimore Cakes -- never tried one of those either, but I do have a lot of Southern Living books.

[Marlene]

IThe Perfect Cake by Susan Purdy.

Amazon got it to my door yesterday, and I must say it appears to be all Nightscotsman says. I am terrifically excited about baking form this book.

The sections on fillling, icings, frostings looks especially useful.

There are several classic cakes here that a northerner like me has never heard of. I think I'll try Lane Cake first. Can any input, Alabamans?

I got mine yesterday too. I hardly know where to start!

[Joni]

Aurora...where is the Lemon Crunch Pound Cake recipe? Sounds great!

[malarkey]

I think I'll try Lane Cake first.  Can any  input, Alabamans?

oooh, let me know how it turns out maggie. I'm going to make the Lane Cake recipe that's in this month's Saveur this weekend.

Lotsa eggs: recipe calls for 12 yolks, 8 whites (I think, this is from memory). this recipe uses the filling as the frosting also.