Washington Pie - Civil War recipe

Washington Pie - Civil War recipe

"It’s really a cake-pie. Two
fluffy layers of butter cake with
jam between and a thick coating of
powdered sugar on top. Did you
ever hear the real story of this
delicious dessert?

Well, it dates back to Civil War
times – when fresh fruits for
pies were not to be had in the
city of Washington. Nothing
daunted, some clever housewife
raided her own hidden store of
jam. To make it go further,
she spread it between two layers
of cake, and humorously called
it Washington Pie. What started
as a substitute, has won a
nation-wide place in its own
right." - from 1935 newspaper

1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
raspberry or apricot jam
powdered sugar

"First cream butter until light.
Then beat in sugar gradually.
Add eggs, well beaten. Combine
sifted cake flour with baking
powder and salt, and sift again.
Combine vanilla and milk. Add
dry ingredients and milk to first
mixture alternately. Turn into
two 8-inch greased layer-cake
tins and bake in moderately hot
oven (375 degrees F.) about
twenty-five minutes. When cold
put together with jam and dust
with powdered sugar.

And notice this smart trick:
Lay your wire cake-cooling rack
lightly on the top before giving
the heavy sifting of powdered sugar.
When you lift the rack off, the cake
surface is marked into powdered
sugar squares, with the golden crust
of cake showing between."

Source: Rochester Evening Journal newspaper,
Friday, March 22, 1935