|
Replies: 22
| visibility 1
|
Hall of Famer [22127]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 5026
Joined: 2/25/13
|
Any of You Guys Ever Baked a Cake?
Dec 3, 2018, 8:28 PM
|
|
I'm not talking about going down to the nearest store and buying a cake mix and container of icing. I'm talking about the old fashioned way, from scratch. This was way back in the 1930's when I was a junior or senior in high school. I asked my youngest sister, who was older than me and was home from college (FSU, but was at that time Florida State College for Women) to bake us a cake. I didn't get the response I wanted so I decided I would try my hand at something I had never done before.
I found a huge recipe book and discovered there must have been 237 recipes for cakes in that book. I chose one that looked quite simple, a three layer cake. Then I searched for a recipe for chocolate icing and found one that appeared to be fit my plans, a simple recipe that was within my capabilities. The next step was to gather all of the ingredients and, fortunately, every item I needed was in the pantry. There were so many items on the counter it looked as though I was going to invite every one in town to come and share my huge cake.
Electric mixers were not yet in vogue so mixing the ingredients took elbow grease and time. My sister came to the kitchen to see how my first cake making was progressing. She make a few remarks about the flour on the floor and sugar all over the counter but she did offer a good suggestion about the cake pans. Oil the cake pans and sprinkle a little flour on the oil but don't use the flour on the floor. If you will notice, there is not much difference in the spelling of "flour" and "floor", so one has to be careful.
We had electricity but an electric stove was a rarity. We had a kerosene stove and baking a cake in that oven was a hit and miss affair. I could never understand how my Mother could bake a perfect cake with that stove. Anyway, I kept watching the cooking process to be sure the cakes were done but not burnt. Removing those three cake pans from the oven created an aroma that really whetted my appetite I could have eaten one of those layers without icing and followed that with a glass of unpasteurized milk.
The icing was prepared while the cakes were baking so as soon as the cakes were cool they were ready for the icing. I stacked those three layers and aligned them perfectly and began smearing the icing, top and sides. I was being very generous with the icing but there was still so much icing in the bowl I thought I must have made a doulble recipe. So, I just continued to pile on the icing, top and sides. It was a beautiful cake and as soon as the icing was applied I was ready for a generous piece. I called my sister and two brothers and announced the cake was ready.
I had the honor of slicing the cake and when I did, it didn't take a Philadelphia lawyer to figure out why I had so much icing, I had forgot to put icing between the layers and the layers fell apart. Well, we all had a laugh but no one complained about the cake or the generous portions of icing on the top and sides of their slice.
Message was edited by: Joe21®
|
|
|
|
 |
All-Conference [400]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 174
Joined: 11/20/11
|
Re: Any of You Guys Ever Baked a Cake?
Dec 3, 2018, 8:39 PM
|
|
Bake them all the time. Learned from my dad who had to cook, bake all the time as a young man growing up in the 50’s in the mountains of N.C. When he was young, he lived with his grand parents while his mother was away earning a living. His grandmother broke her leg and he had to learn to cook. He is pretty dang good at it too! I admire him for that and so I learned to cook from him (especially cakes, pies)!
|
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [7191]
TigerPulse: 70%
Posts: 20374
Joined: 8/18/06
|
Re: Any of You Guys Ever Baked a Cake?
Dec 3, 2018, 8:48 PM
|
|
No, but I have "fried" a chicken using lard, and a cast iron skillet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Head Coach [765]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 79
Joined: 8/20/00
|
Re: Any of You Guys Ever Baked a Cake?
Dec 3, 2018, 8:50 PM
|
|
The world wide web is scary. When I opened your thread, 5 pieces of cake came up on the right side - and one of chicken wings for some reason.
My wife and I lived in England for a few years and lived In an old farm house that had an Aga, which in my words, is a constantly heated gas oven / stove combo, with no way to adjust the heat. A lot of guess work with anything we cooked.
I love the stories you tell. My daddy would have been 100 on 11/15 of this year, so my brother, sister and I got together to celebrate. Your stories take me back to the world my mom and dad grew up in Edgefield, SC. Please keep telling us those stories.
Think I'll go have a piece of cake.
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-In [43978]
TigerPulse: 81%
Posts: 32912
Joined: 2/22/03
|
I love your stories, Joe.
Dec 3, 2018, 8:53 PM
|
|
It is great to hear about a simpler time, which seems so different from the world we live in now.
Thank you for so generously sharing your wonderful experiences with us!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Legend [16470]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 11652
Joined: 9/1/01
|
Made a pound cake in a dutch oven camping one time from
Dec 3, 2018, 8:54 PM
|
|
scratch. Did not brown well but was dern good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CU Guru [1747]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 925
Joined: 1/13/12
|
Re: Any of You Guys Ever Baked a Cake?
Dec 3, 2018, 8:59 PM
|
|
My grandmother spent her life in the kitchen and seemed to ne able to cook anything. I got hold of my grandmother’s chocolate pound cake recipe a long time ago and tried it. I followed directions to a T. It came out kinda dry compared to hers but, otherwise, was ok. But, then again, who could ever match their grandmother’s cooking?
|
|
|
|
|
|
1st Rounder [631]
TigerPulse: 96%
Posts: 558
Joined: 1/29/11
|
Re: Any of You Guys Ever Baked a Cake?
Dec 3, 2018, 9:00 PM
|
|
Great post Joe. It's a reminder of times that were, as well as the fact that we are on a football chat site, we are about to play in the CFP, and we are so accustomed to being in that position, we can talk about baking cakes. awesome
|
|
|
|
|
|
CU Medallion [53692]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 43516
Joined: 11/17/03
|
I make a pretty good banana pudding. Hot banana pudding...
Dec 3, 2018, 9:02 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [8866]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 5339
Joined: 11/17/14
|
Re: Any of You Guys Ever Baked a Cake?
Dec 3, 2018, 9:07 PM
|
|
I remember watching my grandmother just throw together ingredients, not really measuring them, and out would come a beautiful cake or pie. Tried to get recipes from her, but the dabs, dash’s, little bits etc never turned out for me. My mom had us cooking at a really young age, but it was recipes and nothing not my grandmothers. Never will forget her homemade biscuits, fresh churned butter and honey off the comb
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange Blooded [2532]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 769
Joined: 9/3/10
|
Re: Any of You Guys Ever Baked a Cake?
Dec 3, 2018, 9:48 PM
|
|
Your mention of the kerosene stove reminds me of the time, also in the 1930’s, when we got electricity and an electric stove. My mother would not let Dad take the wood stove out because she didn’t think the electric stove would cook her cakes as well as the old wood stove. That wood stove stayed in the kitchen into the 1940’s. Also remember opening the oven door to dry my hair. One night I dosed off and my head dropped on the hot door giving me a nice burn on my forehead. Those are still the good old days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rock Defender [53]
TigerPulse: 90%
Posts: 35
Joined: 11/30/98
|
Re: Any of You Guys Ever Baked a Cake?
Dec 3, 2018, 9:49 PM
|
|
Sorry Joe, but I still cannot comprehend how to boil an egg. I know it has something to do with an egg and some water. After that, I'm lost.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CU Guru [1889]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 648
Joined: 9/25/09
|
Scratch? Yes....Recipe? No
Dec 3, 2018, 10:07 PM
|
|
Watched my grandmother many times. There was no recipe, at least not on paper. She used no measuring cups or spoons. We called it the dump cake recipe. I tried my first one from scratch 30 years ago recalling what she did and it was a success. Still cook them that way today. Such memories. Thanks for the post.
Go Tigers!
|
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [7831]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 20489
Joined: 10/9/04
|
It’s called a 1234 cake
Dec 4, 2018, 8:34 AM
|
|
1 cup butter
2 cup sugar
3 cup flour self rising
4 eggs
You also need milk and vanilla.... a cup and a teaspoon respectively. A pinch of salt sometimes too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange Blooded [2532]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 769
Joined: 9/3/10
|
Re: It’s called a 1234 cake
Dec 4, 2018, 2:03 PM
|
|
You left out an important ingredient. My wife’s mother,years ago, told her to make a 1,2,3,4 cake. It fell flat. Her mother said,” didn’t you use baking powder?” Wife says, you said nothing about baking powder. I won’t relate her mom’s reply.
|
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [7831]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 20489
Joined: 10/9/04
|
Re: It’s called a 1234 cake
Dec 5, 2018, 12:51 AM
|
|
Self rising flour
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [78578]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 12999
Joined: 9/24/18
|
Re: Any of You Guys Ever Baked a Cake?
Dec 3, 2018, 10:34 PM
|
|
On the night of THE 4th and 16 vs LSU, my sister was admitted to the cancer wing of Roper Hospital in Charleston. She called me just before the game started. I jumped in my truck and drove straight to her side. Three and a half hours later, I walked into her room. Her oncologist greeted me, updated her condition and gave me his immediate game plan for her. The nurses asked me to leave the room, my sister looked up and said, "For God's Sake, let him watch the winning field goal!", as she punched me and pointed to the tv. The ball was snapped and history was made.
All of that to tell you my dying sister baked the best pound cake ever!!! Treasured by my entire family! During the six years she fought cancer, she promised me she wouldn't die until I perfected her pound cake recipe. Of course, loving my sister as I did, I procrastinated learning her craft. In mid April, she was still in the hospital fighting for her life, when she pulled me close and told me to go to her apartment and bake her pound cake. The ingredients were purchased at an all-night Bi-lo's and her cake was delivered the next morning. She was proud and pleased that she had taught me well.
On May 2, 2013 . . . Sissy's days on this earth were completed.
Yes Joe, I have baked a wonderfully rewarding cake . . . and do so often in her memory.
Sissy loved her Tigers!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
CU Guru [1273]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 1561
Joined: 2/9/15
|
God bless you, Skeeta...******
Dec 3, 2018, 11:10 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [78578]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 12999
Joined: 9/24/18
|
Re: God bless you, Skeeta...******
Dec 4, 2018, 12:23 AM
|
|
StO you took my breath . . . for a brief moment I thought my dad was talking to me . . . as he is the only one to ever call me Skeeta
Tnx for that moment just now as my heart skipped a beat and I warmly heard my dad’s voice calling me by his “pet” name for me . . . wow, didn’t see that coming!
|
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [6009]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 1663
Joined: 1/13/12
|
Re: God bless you, Skeeta...******
Dec 4, 2018, 3:40 AM
|
|
My Dad passed away at 90 a year and a half ago. He put my grandmother's wood stove in the back of his garage many years ago and once or twice a year He and my Mom would get everything together and go out there and cook a whole spread including biscuts or cornbread and we would unfold a couple long tables and we would all sit out there and eat while a pound cake was cooking in it. We all would listen to them as they talked about the ways people had to do things back in the day. I miss that now but great memories.
|
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [8866]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 5339
Joined: 11/17/14
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange Blooded [2061]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 2093
Joined: 9/4/09
|
Re: Any of You Guys Ever Baked a Cake?
Dec 4, 2018, 6:22 AM
|
|
I thought I did my sophomore year but her time came and it was all good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [10121]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 4858
Joined: 12/11/12
|
Re: Any of You Guys Ever Baked a Cake?
Dec 5, 2018, 12:10 AM
|
|
This story brought back lots of pleasant memories of my Grandmother cooking on a wood stove!! Have you ever thought about putting your stories in a book? Would be a great read!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Replies: 22
| visibility 1
|
|
|
50
