Things Mother Used to Make: A Nostalgic Collection of Traditional Cake Recipes

There’s a timeless charm in the cakes and cookies that mothers used to make. Each recipe tells a story of family gatherings, holidays, and the simple joys of homemade desserts. This collection brings together some beloved traditional cake recipes that have been passed down through generations. From the rich flavor of Filled Cookies to the delicate texture of Sponge Cake, these recipes will fill your kitchen with the warmth and nostalgia of yesteryear.

Filled Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 Cupful of Sugar
• 1/2 Cupful of Butter or Lard
• 1 Cupful of Milk
• 2 Teaspoonfuls of Cream of Tartar
• 1 Teaspoonful of Soda
• 1 Tablespoonful of Vanilla
• 3 3/4 Cupfuls of Flour

Instructions:

1. Roll the dough thin and cut with a cookie cutter.
2. Place on a well-buttered pan, add a teaspoonful of filling, and cover with another cookie.
3. Bake in a moderate oven.

Filling for Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 Cupful of Chopped Raisins
• 1/2 Cupful of Sugar
• 1/2 Cupful of Water
• 1 Teaspoonful of Flour

Instructions:

1. Cook all ingredients until thick, being careful not to burn it.
2. Let cool slightly before using to fill cookies.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 Cupful of Sugar
• 1/2 Cupful of Butter
• 2 Tablespoonfuls of Milk
• 1 Egg
• 2 Teaspoonfuls of Cream of Tartar
• 1 Teaspoonful of Soda
• 1 Teaspoonful of Lemon Extract
• Flour enough to roll

Instructions:

1. Beat the butter, sugar, and egg together.
2. Add milk, then stir the cream of tartar and soda into the flour.
3. Combine all ingredients, roll out the dough, and cut with a cookie cutter.
4. Bake in a moderate oven until lightly browned.

Cream Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cupful of Cream (sour preferred)
• 1 Cupful of Sugar
• 2 Cupfuls of Flour
• 1 Teaspoonful of Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoonful of Salt
• Flavor with Lemon

Instructions:

1. Stir the soda into the cream; beat the eggs and add sugar, salt, flour, and cream.
2. Add flavoring last.
3. Bake in a moderate oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Delicious Cake Without Eggs

Ingredients:

• 1 Cupful of Thick, Sour Milk
• 1 Cupful of Sugar
• 1/2 Cupful of Butter
• 2 Cupfuls of Flour
• 1 Cupful of Chopped Raisins
• 1 Teaspoonful of Soda
• 1 Teaspoonful of Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoonful each of Cloves and Nutmeg
• Pinch of Salt

Instructions:

1. Stir the soda into the sour milk, then add melted butter and sugar, salt, and spices.
2. Put the flour over the raisins and stir all together.
3. Pour into a greased pan and bake in a moderate oven.

Feather Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 Cupfuls of Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• Butter the size of an Egg
• 1 Cupful of Milk
• 3 Cupfuls of Flour
• 1 Teaspoonful of Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 Teaspoonful of Soda
• Flavor with Almond

Instructions:

1. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add well-beaten eggs, then milk.
2. Beat thoroughly. Combine soda and cream of tartar with the flour, dry.
3. Stir all together with the flavoring.
4. Bake in two small loaf pans in a moderate oven.

Old-Time Gingersnaps

Ingredients:

• 1 Cupful of Molasses
• 3/4 Cupful of Butter or Lard
• 1 Teaspoonful of Soda
• 1 Teaspoonful of Ginger

Instructions:

1. Boil the molasses for five minutes, then remove from heat.
2. Add soda, butter, and ginger. When cooled slightly, stir in flour until thick enough to roll.
3. Roll thin, cut with a cookie cutter, and bake in a hot oven.

Gold Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 Cupful of Sugar
• 1/2 Cupful of Butter
• Yolks of 4 Eggs
• Whites of 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cupful of Milk
• 1 1/2 Cupfuls of Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoonful of Cream of Tartar
• 1/4 Teaspoonful of Soda
• Flavoring

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together, then add well-beaten eggs, milk, and flavoring.
2. Combine cream of tartar and soda with the flour.
3. Stir all together and bake in a moderate oven.

Hermits

Ingredients:

• 1 Cupful of Sugar
• 1/2 Cupful of Molasses
• 2/3 Cupful of Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cupful of Raisins, Chopped Fine
• 2 Tablespoonfuls of Milk
• 1 Teaspoonful of Soda
• 1 Teaspoonful of Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoonful of Nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoonful of Cloves
• Flour enough to roll

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together, beat the eggs, then add to the butter and sugar.
2. Stir in molasses, milk, and spices.
3. Add raisins and flour, mixed with soda.
4. Roll thin and cut with a cookie cutter.
5. Bake in a moderate oven.

Jumbles

Ingredients:

• 2 Cupfuls of Sugar
• 1 Cupful of Butter
• 1/2 Cupful of Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Teaspoonful of Soda
• 2 Teaspoonfuls of Cream of Tartar
• 1 Teaspoonful of Lemon Extract
• Flour enough to roll

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together, then stir into the well-beaten eggs.
2. Add milk, then mix cream of tartar and soda with the flour.
3. Beat all together and add flavor.
4. Cut into rings and bake in a well-greased pan.

Nut Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 Cupful of Sugar
• 1/2 Cupful of Butter
• 1/2 Cupful of Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Cupfuls of Flour
• 1 Teaspoonful of Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 Teaspoonful of Soda
• 1 Cupful of Hickory Nut Meats or English Walnuts

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together, then add well-beaten eggs and milk.
2. Mix cream of tartar and soda with the flour.
3. Stir all together, adding nut meats covered with flour last.
4. Bake in a moderate oven.

Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cupful of Sugar
• 1 1/2 Cupfuls of Oatmeal or Rolled Oats
• 1/2 Cupful of Cocoanut
• 1/2 Teaspoonful of Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoonful of Vanilla
• 2 Tablespoonfuls of Butter

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together and add well-beaten eggs.
2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
3. Drop by spoonfuls on a well-greased baking pan.
4. Bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes.

One, Two, Three, Four Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 Cupful of Butter
• 2 Cupfuls of Sugar
• 3 Cupfuls of Flour
• 4 Eggs
• 2/3 Cupful of Milk
• 2 Teaspoonfuls of Cream of Tartar
• 1 Teaspoonful of Soda

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together, then add well-beaten eggs.
2. Beat all and add milk, beat again.
3. Sift cream of tartar and soda into the flour.
4. Stir all together and bake in a slow oven.
5. This will make two loaves.

Ribbon Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 Eggs
• 2 Cupfuls of Sugar
• 2/3 Cupful of Butter
• 1 Cupful of Milk
• 3 Cupfuls of Flour
• 1 Teaspoonful of Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 Teaspoonful of Soda
• 1 Tablespoonful of Molasses
• 1 Large Cupful of Raisins
• 1/4 Pound of Citron
• 1 Teaspoonful each of Cinnamon and Cloves
• A little Nutmeg
• A little Salt
• Lemon or Almond Flavoring

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together, add well-beaten eggs and milk.
2. Mix salt, soda, and cream of tartar with the flour.
3. Stir all together.
4. Divide half of the mixture into two oblong pans.
5. To the remaining mixture, add molasses, raisins, citron, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and a tablespoon of flour.
6. Bake in two pans of the same size as the first half.
7. Put the sheets together while warm, alternately, with jelly between.

Roll Jelly Cake

Ingredients:

• 4 Eggs
• 1 Cupful of Sugar
• 1 Cupful of Flour
• 1 Teaspoonful of Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 Teaspoonful of Soda
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Teaspoonful of Lemon Extract

Instructions:

1. Beat eggs and sugar together, add salt and extract.
2. Stir soda and cream of tartar into the dry flour.
3. Mix all together.
4. Bake in a moderate oven in a large pan.
5. Turn out on a clean towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.
6. Spread with jelly and roll while warm.

Silver Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 Cupful of Sugar
• 1/3 Cupful of Butter
• 2 Cupfuls of Flour
• Whites of 3 Eggs
• 1/2 Cupful of Milk
• 1 Scant Teaspoonful of Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 Teaspoonful of Soda
• Almond Flavoring

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together, add milk and flavoring.
2. Stir cream of tartar and soda into dry flour.
3. Last of all, add whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth.
4. Bake in a moderate oven.

Sponge Cake No. 1

Ingredients:

• 3 Eggs
• 1 1/3 Cupfuls of Sugar
• 1/2 Cupful of Water
• 1 1/2 Cupfuls of Flour
• 1 Teaspoonful of Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 Teaspoonful of Soda
• Pinch of Salt

Instructions:

1. Beat eggs and sugar together, add water and salt.
2. Stir soda and cream of tartar into dry flour.
3. Beat all together.
4. Bake slowly in a moderate oven.

Sponge Cake No. 2 (Grandmother’s Rule)

Ingredients:

• 4 Eggs
• 1 Cupful of Sugar
• 1 Cupful of Flour
• 1 Teaspoonful of Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt

Instructions:

1. Beat the eggs for ten minutes, add sugar, and beat again.
2. Stir baking powder into the flour.
3. Mix all together.
4. Bake in a moderate oven.

This delightful collection of traditional cake recipes brings a touch of nostalgia to your kitchen. Each recipe is a sweet reminder of simpler times and the loving hands that made these treats. Enjoy baking these timeless classics and sharing them with your loved ones.