Old-Fashioned Yellow Cake (adapted from McCall's Book of Cakes and Pies) by Reeni

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You can't go wrong with this one-bowl cake for it's ease, quickness and impressive outcome. This is a charming one-bowl yellow cake recipe that I imagine my Grandma might have made. The recipe comes out of a McCall's book published 100 years ago in 1910. A recipe with the far reaching ability to be viable a century later.

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  • 10 mins
  • 45 mins

Ingredients

  • CAKE:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 + 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra if needed
  • WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING:
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.

2. In a large mixing bowl sift flour and sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. Add butter, milk and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, occasionally scraping sides of bowl.

4. Add eggs, beat for 2 more minutes.

5. Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally among both. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

6. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Turn out and cool thoroughly on wire racks. Frost with cream cheese or whip cream frosting. If using whip cream frosting the cake must be refrigerated.

For CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese on low until light and fluffy, gradually beating in the butter. Beat in vanilla. Add confectioners' sugar and beat until well blended. Add extra confectioners' sugar if needed to get it to the right spreading consistency.

For WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING:
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and chill with the whisk/beaters you will be mixing it with. Cover and chill for 30 minutes, then beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.

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