Anyone have a recipe for what used to be a standard wedding cake many years ago. My parents (in their circle) would bring home cake for the kids which I have been desperately trying to duplicate. Just can’t find the right cake and frosting complement.
Appreciate your response. Regards, Paula
4-1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mace
1 pound shortening
1 pound brown sugar
10 eggs, well beaten
1/2 pound candied cherries, cut into halves
1/2 pound candied pineapple, diced
1 pound dates, seeded and sliced
1 pound raisins
1 pound currants
1/2 pound citron, thinly sliced
1/2 pound candied orange and lemon peel, sliced
1/2 pound nut meats, chopped
1 cup honey
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup cider
Sift flour, baking powder and spices together 3 times.
Cream shorteningr and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, fruit, nuts, honey, molasses, and cider. Add flour in small amounts, mixing well after each addition. Turn into cake pans which have been greased, lined with heavy paper and again greased.
Bake in very slow oven (250 F). For large loaves, bake in 8x4x3-inch pans about 4 hours. For small loaves, bake in 6x3x2-1/2 inch pans about 2-1/2 to 3 hours. For 8-1/2 inch tube pan, bake 4 to 5 hours. Test with toothpick or cake tester before removing from oven. Makes 10 pounds fruitcake.
Spread Ornamental Icing on top and sides of cake and decorate with simple borders, festoons and rosettes of Ornamental Icing.
*From an old 1950s cookbook.
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Boil sugar and water (without stirring) to 242 F. or until a small amount dropped from tip of spoon spins a thread.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and pour on hot sirup in a thin stream, while beating constantly. Add cream of tartar and vanilla and beat until thick enough to spread.
Cover cake smoothly with part of icing and beat remaining icing until cool and stiff enough to hold shape when forced through pastry tube. When coating on cake has hardened, decorate as desired with remaining icing forced through pastry tube. If icing becomes too thick to spread smoothly, add a few drops of hot water.
QUICK ICING:
Beat 3 egg whites until foamy, add confectioners’ sugar gradually and beat until thickened. Add 1/4 tsp cream tartar and 1 tsp vanilla. When thick enough to spread, cover top and sides of cake. To remainder, add more sugar until thick enough to hold shape when forced through pastry tube.
*From same cookbook. FYI… I remember my mother when she made my brother’s wedding cake 34 years ago. She gave many layers of icing before decorating it. The bottom layer was real cake, and the other 2 layers were foam. To separate and hold the layers, she used decorative stemmed shot glasses, to which you can fill with a pretty flower or whatever, or nothing at all. The small layers were foam because it would have been too heavy.
Thank you, ladies…my mouth is watering!!!
Hi ladies
hope to find recipes’s martha stewart of wedding cake
regards