How to Bake Moist and Delicious Date Cake

This cake is moist and rich like a brownie, easy to make and keeps well, too. Whether you serve it plain or ice it with something like a chocolate ganache, it is sure to please everyone! You can play with it, too. Try replacing 1/2 cup flour with cocoa powder or add some cinnamon. You can serve it warm, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or serve slices plain with a cup of tea on the side. There is really nothing plain about this cake. It's rich and delicious and the best part is you don't have to be an accomplished baker to make it.

I don't know who Mrs. Day is but my grandmother credited every recipe so I am simply copying what she wrote. Mrs. Day most likely would have been someone from my grandmother's church or a neighbour in Woodstock or Kitchener, Ontario.

This is one of those recipes I remember from very early childhood and one I associate with chilly weather and warm hugs.

Date Cake: Mrs. Day

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 package of dates
• 10¢ walnuts
• 1 teaspoon soda in 1/2 cup of hot water

Bake 1-1/2 hours in slow oven.

Explanation and Method:

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Butter an 8 or 9 inch square cake pan or you could do this in the 8-inch round pans if you like. I don’t recommend a loaf pan. Batter will rise so don’t overfill.

The package of dates is a 1 pound (500g) package of pitted dates. I particularly like the walnut measurement of 10¢ worth. I’ve found these measurements a few times in this notebook and have marveled at how prices have changed and in another respect, how dear certain ingredients were back then. As for the 10¢ of walnuts, just assume it is 1 cup. I also add a bit more vanilla, maybe 2 teaspoons when I make this. The teaspoon of soda is a teaspoon out of your drawer and gently rounded.

Chop the dates.

If you are doing this by hand, dip a sharp knife in water as you chop to make sticking less of a problem. In a separate cup, dissolve the baking soda in 1/2 cup boiling water and stir into chopped dates.

If you are using a food processor, dissolve the baking soda in boiling water and add to dates in the processor. Pulse until dates are chopped fairly small but not mush.

Chop the walnuts.

Cream butter and sugar until light. Add room temperature eggs one at a time and beat well after each one. Mixture will be nice a fluffy. Add vanilla and beat again. Add flour alternately with the dates and water mixture, beginning and ending with flour and mix until blended. Do not over-mix! Doing this part by hand works best. Add the chopped walnuts by folding them in gently. The batter will be much thicker than a regular cake batter. Spread evenly in pan. Bake for 1-1/2 hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

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A truly great kitchen mixer

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Best Recipes for Real Old-Fashioned Shortcake: American and European Style

Source: PDPhotos

Strawberries that in gardens grow 

Are plump and juicy fine, 

But sweeter far as wise men know 

Spring from the woodland vine. 

From Wild Strawberries. A poem by Robert Graves

Grandma's notebook moves gracefully from one season to the next. One can almost feel the melting snow and spring sunshine emerging on the pages. Strawberries came from her garden in abundance and she always made full use of them. Not only did she make shortcakes, she always had enough to fill her glass jars for a taste of summer all winter long. Yes, she not only made jam, but also canned the berries in syrup.

Shortcakes at Grandma's house were not the spongecake kind we find in the supermarket today.

Two distinctly different cakes

Sometimes, people made shortcake that was closer to a sweet biscuit consistency. It was tender, crumbly, and deliciously sweet. It was usually made with sour cream or buttermilk and very lightly mixed.

Another version was more cake-like in the traditional sense. It used more eggs and was perfect for creating a triple layer extravaganza. Cornstarch is added in a larger quantity than we are used to here in North America but it is a technique very common in France and other parts of Europe. In the notebook, this version is credited to Mrs. Day.

The first recipe in Grandma's book is the tender biscuit-like cake. I remember the edges being lightly browned and toasty while the tender cake inside filled with juice from the strawberries and tasted like pure ambrosia! In her notebook, Grandma has written good ! She was right. Even better news is that it's easy!

American Style Shortcake

• 3 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1-1/2 cups sour cream
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 425˚.

Stir the sour cream so it becomes slightly softer and more pourable. Dissolve the baking soda in a bit of water. Mix the beaten egg with the sour cream and add the soda water.

Sift flour, sugar and salt together in a separate bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or with two knives until mixture resembles course crumbs.

Add sour cream mixture and stir carefully until just combined. Do not overmix! 

You can spoon the mixture into a greased cake pan, spoon into greased muffin tins for individual cakes or spoon in mounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment baking paper.

Optional: brush with a little heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake until done. The smaller cakes will take about 15 minutes and the larger about 20-25 minutes. They should be puffed and golden. Cool until pleasantly warm. Slice open and fill with berries and whipped cream. Replace the top and serve. If you make a round cake, slice into wedges and serve topped with berries and whipped cream. This shortcake freezes beautifully, too. 

European Style Shortcake

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sweet milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 3 teaspoons baking powder

Method II:

This cake is firm and very tender! What makes it European? The addition of cornstarch is what sets it apart. If you have seen recipes that call for cake flour and wondered what makes that different from regular flour, it is just the addition of a little cornstarch. This recipe has a bit more cornstarch than is found in cake flour and the method is still commonly used in Europe to ensure a very tender cake with a moist, firm texture.

Preheat oven to 325˚. Have ready 3 round cake pans (8-inch are ideal) greased and floured. Tip: Parchment paper rounds make it easier to remove the cake after but if you use it, either spray lightly with cooking oil or use butter and flour.

Have all ingredients, including eggs and milk, at room temperature.

Beat butter and sugar until nice and soft. Add eggs one at a time and beat until mixture is very light and fluffy.

Combine the same as you would for any butter cake. If you are unsure, go here to find tips and complete instructions for how to mix and bake a cake.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean or cake springs back when lightly touched in the centre. Cool in pan for about 5 minutes and then turn out onto racks.

Assemble as a triple layer spectacular dessert, filling with fruit and whipped cream.

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Not just for berries...

Yes, strawberries are the classic fruit for shortcake but equally good are raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and just about any other berry that grows in your region. But why stop at berries?

Peaches are wonderful with this cake! Or try some sliced bananas and crushed pineapple with a touch more vanilla in the whipped cream.

Need a lift before the fresh summer fruit is available? Try some canned dark cherries, drained and steeped in kirsch, with a dash of almond extract along with the vanilla in the whipped cream. The possibilities are endless!

If you have a special combination that you love, please let me know so we can share the joy.

Written in 1895

Homemade Pie Recipes: Uncle Gordon's Coconut Caramel Pie

Source: Glenbow Museum Archives, Alberta, Canada

Radio Recipe

Good ideas come from many places and in the old days, Grandma listened to radio shows for new recipes. In her notebook, she pencilled in some instructions for my Uncle Gordon on how to make this fantastic coconut caramel pie. It was one of his favourites!

My grandmother didn't call them recipes though. She called them 'receipts'. So here is her receipt for the pie, as written.

Coconut Caramel Pie

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups scalded* milk
• 2 egg yolks beaten slightly
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 1 cup coconut
• 1-9 inch pie shell
• 4 teaspoons of icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
• 2 egg whites beaten stiff
• 1/4 cup coconut

* Scalded milk is made by heating the milk and removing from heat before it boils. You can see little foamy bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan.

Method:

In a double boiler, combine flour, sugar, salt and add milk gradually. Cook over (not in) boiling water until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.

Pour a small amount over egg yolks, stir, and return the mixture to double boiler stirring constantly. You don't want the eggs to scramble! Cook 3 to 4 minutes longer. Remove from fire and add butter, vanilla and 1 cup of coconut.

Pour into pre-baked pie shell. Top with meringue. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of coconut over the meringue, place pie in moderate oven (300˚F) for 40 to 45 minutes or until it is a delicate brown.

Do not remove the meringue too soon or it will fail!

NOTE: Use large eggs. Eggs separate best when they are cold so do that first and then let the whites sit to warm up.

About Meringue:

Meringue can be tricky. Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature. If you've taken them from the refrigerator to make the filling, let the whites sit about half an hour before you start making the meringue.

Use a metal or glass bowl that is free from any fat residue. Traces of butter or oil will doom your meringue before you start. So will bits of egg yolk so be sure there are no stray bits of yellow in your whites. I usually add a pinch of cream of tartar to help it hold together well. In this recipe, about 1/8 of a teaspoon or so will do. Beat the egg whites until they start to form soft peaks. Then and only then, start to add the sugar one spoon at a time.

Beat until you have nice glossy peaks. They don't have to be stiff for pie. Test the meringue by dipping the back of a spoon in the mixture and pulling straight up. It's fine if the tips curl over a bit.

Spread the meringue over the warm filling and make sure you spread to the edge of the pie crusts with no gaps. When you remove the pie from the oven, let it cool gradually away from any drafts. Do not put it in the fridge or you will have a gooey, watery mess.

Note: Many recipes say to cool the filling but meringue adheres to the pie better if the eggs whites "cook" a bit on contact with the warm filling. It helps prevent 'weeping'.

This is a heavenly dessert and perfect for early spring. In keeping with the olden days, try and find natural and organic ingredients for the results you remember.

For those too young to have grandparents who lived this far back, it's a good time to start your own warm kitchen memories. Here's a voice from the past to get you in the mood.

How to Bake Old-Fashioned Fruitcake

Source: Archie McFee

Fruitcake flavoured mints? Are you serious?

Was fruitcake really so popular at one time that mints were made to taste like it? It is a traditional cake that has a reputation for brick-like delicacy and unidentified, mummified contents.

Some recipes say to steam it and then put in the oven to dry. Perhaps the cake is good but those instructions are enough to make me a little shy about baking it. The ingredients are expensive!

This one is in Grandma's notebook with a special notation at the bottom that says "very good". I haven't baked this particular cake but after looking at the ingredients, I may try it. There are no candied maraschino cherries or other unidentifiable fruits.

Note: Maraschino cherries are bleached, soaked in chemicals and dyed red or green. The dye had previously been banned but was allowed again in the '60s for the cherries. They were considered decoration only and not food, thus the ban was lifted. Care for some? Or perhaps you would feel better if you could make your own deliciously decadent maraschino cherries.

Mixed peel is candied peel from citrus fruit. You can make your own very easily and it is worth doing if you prefer an organic source and want to save money. Personally, I use only organic fruit for recipes that call for peel or zest. Make your own ahead of time. What a difference in taste, too!

Mrs. Hayden's Fruitcake

This is exactly as written in Grandma's notes.

• 1 lb. raisins
• 1 lb. currants
• 1 lb. butter
• 1 lb. sugar
• 1/2 lb. mixed peel
• 5¢ spices, allspice, cloves, cinnamon (2-1/2 tsp)
• 1 lb. figs
• 1 lb. almonds
• 2 tsp cream tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 tumbler brandy
• 6 even cups flour

Put fruit in last.

Notes: Put in 2 lb. raisins, 2 lb. currants, 25¢ almonds, 7 or 8 eggs. Bake from 3 to 4 hours, ice and put in tin can.

This recipe has undergone some adjustments as you can see from Grandma's added note at the bottom.

From what she has written, she has added more fruit for sweetness and more eggs to make up for that addition and to keep the cake from becoming too dense.

Her change in the almond measurement is beyond me. So far, I haven't been able to find the cost of almonds although many other commodities are listed in government publications.

Since the original recipe called for a pound, just have a look at the batter and decide how much more you think would be nice.

Personally, I can't imagine buying almonds or any other nuts for 25¢ but considering that was the cost of a loaf of bread in the fifties, it wasn't as inexpensive as it seems.

I'll have to do more research to see how these measurements actually translate. If anyone out there has an idea, please let me know!

My grandmother was a strict teetotaler so I find the brandy measurement rather funny. She had some large glasses in the kitchen that she referred to as tumblers so this is not a skimpy measurement.

If you plan on soaking your finished cake periodically, make sure you have plenty of brandy on hand. You can flavour it as well with a little orange or lemon extract without having to go to the expense of added liqueurs.

Exceptionally Good Pans

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	Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Bakeware 9-Inch Springform Pan Springform pans are another option when baking fruitcakes but baking time will be a little longer.
	Norpro Nonstick 4- Linking Loaf Pan These pans can be used individually or linked when baking several small loaves.

Method:

Chop the larger fruit and nuts, combine with the rest of the fruit and nuts in a separate bowl. Measure flour and take enough to toss in with the fruit and dredge well. Sift together the rest of the dry ingredients and set aside.

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff. Set aside.

Cream the butter until light. Add the sugar and beat well until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time and beat very well. Mixture should be very light and fluffy with no curdling.

Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the egg whites. Add the brandy and fold in the fruit last.

Pour into loaf pans or tube pan and bake at 300˚F for 3 or 4 hours. If you are using mini pans, it will take less time. Test with a wooden toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake. It should come out clean.

Cool, wrap in brandy soaked cheesecloth or ice with a plain white icing and store in a tightly closed tin in a cool place. Some people keep adding brandy once a week while the cake ages. It's up to you how much you want to add but keep in mind it does double duty. It flavours the cake and it preserves the cake. Even Grandma indulged in this kind of Christmas spirit!

Christmas Treats

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• How to Make Absolutely Delectable Coconut Date Balls
  A next door neighbour we had when I was a child used to make these and every Christmas she would bring over a batch as a Christmas present. They are outstanding and so easy!
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