Saturday, February 28, 2009

Vanilla Cake, Again

For the second Saturday in a row, circumstances have required a vanilla cake. Last week I filled it with strawberry jam and frosted it with vanilla buttercream; today I went with raspberry preserves in the middle and a lemony-cream cheese frosting. I use a variation of the charmingly named Dinette Cake from B. Crocker.

*Vanilla Cake*

Mix:
2 1/2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 1/2 c. milk
2/3 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla

at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed for 3 minutes. Pour into two prepared round layer pans (parchment paper circles, everyone!) and bake at 350 for about 38 minutes.

16 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I simply must make it! Was your vanilla buttercream frosting also made by you? That would be the frosting on the cake! ;))

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  2. Thanks for the recipe! My girls and I love to bake - my almost 10 year old loves to do cakes, and has never tried on yet from scratch...this will be the perfect one to start with!

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  3. *Looking sheepishly* she asks, what is the parchment paper for? Can you also share the recipes for frosting somewhere in the blog? Please? :) You are one of the rare bloggers on my must see list and you post often which makes it much more fun. You also have a lovely daughter named Daisy and so do I!

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  4. When I read "Dinette Cake" from Betty Crocker, I thought that sounded familiar. So I got out my cookbook from the mid '70s, and there it is on page 97. I can see you've doubled it, but there are no scribbles on the page, so I guess I've never made it. I'll have to try it! What is it about you, Anna, that makes simple and everyday things have more appeal?
    This is a blessing for your readers - at least for me.

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  5. Lisa, double, and up the vanilla. I use parchment paper for cookies and cakes. For cookie sheets, just pull off a big enough piece to cover the baking sheet. Cookies never stick, cookie sheets don't need washing. For cakes, trace the bottom of the pan onto the parchment paper, cut out the circle, and set it in the pan. No grease or flour is necessary at all. Cake pops right out, and paper peels off the bottom of the cake layer.

    Vanilla icing recipe is findable searching "vanilla icing". Have fun!

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  6. Thanks for sharing :) I will have to try this.

    Have you ever done it with butter in place of the shortening?

    ~Bethany

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  7. Love it! Thank you so much for posting. Seeing it here is much more inspiring than going through my ratty old Betty Crocker book. C:

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  8. Thank you for the recipe! I tried it today, filled with homemade strawberry jam and topped with butter cream frosting. Delicious. A big hit. And Bethany I did use butter instead of shortening, it was great

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  9. I tried this last night, and even though my cranky and inconsistent electric oven scorched the top slightly, it was absolutely fabulous.

    I'd love the recipe for the buttercream frosting too, please.

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  10. Thanks so much for all the tidbits of life you share. Everything looks so splendid!

    I took the liberty of giving you an award. :) I am a dedicated follower of your blog and am blessed by each and every post.

    Thank you!

    Emma

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  11. Oh! And here's the link to the page I awarded you on... http://abannerofcrimson.blogspot.com/

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  12. Today is my husbands birthday and I wanted to make something different. Thank you for the recipe and it will be delicious with my mixed berry compote in between...mmm. Have a blessed day.

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  13. Oh, I made this cake today and it was devoured! I filled and frosted mine with a lemon cream cheese frosting, though -- DELISH! :o) Thanks, Anna!

    Oh, and Bethany who commented earlier, I used unsalted butter instead of shortening and it turned out wonderfully!

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  14. I just made up this cake for our missionaries home group. It was so yummy! I had a no frosting ingredients, so I decided to make it a strawberry peach vanilla cake! I put a layer of canned peaches (without the juice) in the bottom of a 13x9 glass cake dish. I mixed the peach juice in the batter to replace part of the milk. Baked as directed. After it cooled I "frosted" it with a very thin layer of strawberry jam. Everyone raved about it. Mmmm....

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  15. p.s. I used sunflower oil instead of shortening. This recipe is delicious! I also use oil or sometimes butter in place of shortening for your yummy schoolhouse chocolate cake. It works just fine!

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  16. I have made your vanilla cake again and again, in many variations! I've topped it with apple slices before baking, I've topped it with raspberry frosting (made with raspberry jam), I turned it into pineapple upside down cake, and I have even () left it as is, and topped it with vanilla frosting! This is a wonderful recipe that everyone loves...thank you:-) Oh, and I also LOVE your brownie recipe!! They are so yummy:-) Blessings to you and your family!

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