Grandma’s Cookbook – 3 Vintage Cake Recipes That Stand the Test of Time
By Michele D. Baker
This article first appeared in the April/May 2023 issue of eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI.
My grandmother used to tell me it wasn’t a coincidence that our last name is Baker. We were that family that contributed to church bazaar cookbooks, charity fundraising cookbooks and sent recipes to the local paper. The women – and most of the men, too – would pore over stacks and stacks of cookbooks on every culinary topic imaginable, and my grandmother (and then my mother) had the entire 1970s “Good Cook” cookbook set published by Time Life.
My favorites were always the baking books. I continue to be fascinated by bread, rolls, baps, breadsticks, cottage loaves, brownies, cookies, cakes, and anything else containing flour. Thank heaven I’m not gluten intolerant!
These three vintage cake recipes are adapted from Grandma’s church picnic cookbooks, updated slightly using companion recipes from Taste of Home. I encourage you to bring back these well-loved treasures from another era and remember why they are classics!
Classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 can (20 ounces) sliced pineapple
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 large eggs, separated, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 maraschino cherries
Whipped topping, optional
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. In an ungreased 9-in. square baking pan, combine butter and brown sugar. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/3 cup juice. Arrange 9 pineapple slices in a single layer over sugar (refrigerate any remaining slices for another use). Sprinkle pecans over pineapple; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Blend in vanilla and reserved pineapple juice. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to batter, beating well.
In a small bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Spoon into pan.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before inverting onto serving plate. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple slice. If desired, serve with whipped topping.
Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients for the cake:
2/3 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, separated, room temperature
2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium)
1 cup 2% milk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the cream cheese frosting:
1 packag