Milk Chocolate Cake
From a vintage recipe box found at an estate sale
As written on the card
Front
Milk Chocolate Cake
2c. sifted Softasilk
1⅔ c. sugar
4 t. b.p.
1 t. salt
5 T. cocoa
⅔c. soft shortening
1⅓c. evaporated milk (diluted) ½ water
1⅓ t. vanilla
3 eggs (½ to ⅔ c)
Back
sift dry ingredients
add shortening
1c. water (pour over half.
beat 2 min.
add remaining water & 3 eggs
beat 2 min
cut down ¼ c. flour
Milk Chocolate Cake
A light cocoa cake made with cake flour and diluted evaporated milk, mixed by the old two-stage beating method
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups sifted Softasilk (cake flour), less ¼ cup (see below)
- 1⅔ cups sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons cocoa
Also
- ⅔ cup soft shortening
- 1⅓ cups liquid: evaporated milk diluted half and half with water
- 1⅓ teaspoons vanilla
- 3 eggs (½ to ⅔ cup)
Method
- Sift: Sift the dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl.
- First beating: Add the shortening and about 1 cup of the diluted milk, and beat for 2 minutes.
- Second beating: Add the remaining liquid, the vanilla and the 3 eggs, and beat 2 minutes more.
- Bake: The card doesn’t give a pan, temperature or time. See our suggestion below.
As written: “Softasilk” is a brand of cake flour, “b.p.” is baking powder, and “T.” and “t.” are tablespoon and teaspoon. The back says “1c. water (pour over half,” which we read as the first cup of the diluted milk. The note “cut down ¼ c. flour” was added at the bottom, so the writer used 1¾ cups. The card doesn’t say when to add the vanilla.
- Bake in two greased and floured 9-inch round pans at 350°F for about 30 to 35 minutes, or in a 9x13 pan for about 35 to 40 minutes. It’s done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- No cake flour? Measure 2 cups of all-purpose flour, take out 4 tablespoons and add 4 tablespoons of cornstarch, then sift.
- Evaporated milk is the canned, unsweetened kind, not sweetened condensed milk.
Recognize this handwriting or recipe? We’d love to know who wrote it.