War Time Victory Cakes

ONE-EGG VICTORY CAKE
From the Royal Baking Powder cookbook:

During WWII, America resorted to rationing certain goods. Everything from tires to shoes to nylons were rationed, along with many edibles such as sugar, coffee, and cheese. Fuel shortages made it tough to send fresh food across the country, and many processed foods had to be shipped to our soldiers and allies. Could you imagine though, telling your kid that you can’t make their favorite birthday cake because you already used up that month’s ration of butter!

One example of just deeply the war affected those at home in the U.S. can be found in cookbooks like these, which are featured in the National World War II Museum 'Arsenal of Democracy' exhibition. Written with wartime rationing and scarcity in mind, they advised the American homemaker on ideas about how to feed their families properly without using up too many of their supplies.

Here is a Recipe for one of those War Time Victory Cakes from the Royal Baking Powder Cookbook.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 cup milk
2 cups cake flower
2 1/2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions: Cream shortening well; add sugar slowly, beating in well. Add beaten egg and vanilla; beat until well blended. Blend syrup and milk. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with liquid to first mixture. Bake in greased square pan (8 x 8 x 2 inches) in moderate oven at 350°F. about 1 hour or in 2 greased eight-inch layer cake pans at the same temperature about 30 minutes. Makes 1 eight-inch or 1 two-layer cake.
Note: Honey may be substituted for light corn syrup.

A Fantastic M & M Toffee Bark Recipe

It's the perfect treat for any holiday, but especially at Christmas time. The bark is graham cracker based mixed with a layer of hard and brittle toffee, a layer of peanut butter, then a layer chocolate and an extra special layer of M&M's® and red and green sprinkles for the topping. You cannot fail with this extra special treat. Your friends and family will eat this up in no time at all. You may have to make more.

We begin by buttering the pan, or cooking spray if you prefer. Add 1 cup each of butter and brown sugar to a pot, and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Next you layer the bottom of the pan with Graham Crackers, and pour in your boiled butter/brown sugar mixture. Bake for 4 minutes at 400 F.

Remove from oven and add 3/4 cup of peanut butter. You can spread it with a spatula, but as you can see...I did not. I'll leave that up to you. Place back into the oven for a minute, until the peanut butter is melted (about 1 minute).

Remove from oven and layer your chocolate on top (2 cups, and I used milk chocolate chips), and place back in oven until melted. This will probably take a minute or two. When the chocolate is melted you can then spread it out with a spatula.

When you are finished spreading the chocolate, sprinkle the M % M candies over the top, and add red and green sprinkles...just for fun. Cool at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill completely. Once it is chilled completely you will be able to break the toffee bark into pieces. Then it's time to enjoy your work!

The Best White/Chocolate Cake Ever!

An Old Fashioned, Vintage White Cake with Chocolate Frosting Recipe
Wouldn't you just love a good old white/chocolate cake just like grandma use to make right now?

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar.
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted.
2 tablespoons water.
2 large eggs.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour.
1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

Instructions:
PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease baking pan(s).
COMBINE granulated sugar, butter and water in large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; stir into sugar mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread into prepared baking pan(s).
BAKE for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan(s) on wire rack. Frost when cooled, and enjoy.

Frosting
Ingredients:
3 cups sifted powdered sugar, divided
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
5 to 6 tablespoons milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
BEAT 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, butter, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in remaining sugar and milk until smooth. Makes 2 cups total.

1934 Cake Recipe, Economical Layer Cake

Economical Layer Cake
Ingredients:
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla (or other desired flavoring)
1/2 Cup Water
1 2/3 Cups of Cake Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

Directions:
Stir butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla together
until creamy. Sift together the dry ingredients,
and add alternately with the water to the first mixture.
When well mixed, stir in the egg white, stiffly whipped.
Transfer to two 9 inch layer cake pans which have been
rubbed with butter, and dusted lightly with flour.

Bake about 25 minutes at 375 F. When cool, remove from the
pans, and put together with jam, jelly, any fruit butter,
Italian Cream filling, Creamy Icing, or Rich Chocolate Icing.
You can even put the cake together, just before serving, with
whipped cream, or with sliced, and sweetened oranges, or other fruit.
From: Round The World Cook Book by Iad Bailey Allen