Sweet dough (untested)

This typewritten recipe for sweet dough is highly versatile with several uses noted at the bottom including:

• Palm leaf rolls
• Cinnamon buns
• Cinnamon bun loaf
• Honey almond cake
• Date braided cake
• Cinnamon twists
• Rosebuds
• Doughnuts
• Pan rolls

On separate cards in the recipe box, I found the instructions for making some of the above variations—palm leaf rolls, cinnamon twists, pan rolls, and rosebuds. I have posted those recipes separately and each can be accessed by clicking the title above or below.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup warm (not hot) water
• 2 packages or cakes of Fleischmann's Yeast (active dry or compressed)*
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 5 cups sifted enriched flour

Instructions:

1. Scald milk
2. Stir in sugar, salt and shortening
3. Cool milk mixture to lukewarm
4. Put warm water in separate bowl
5. Sprinkle or crumble in yeast and stir until dissolved
6. Stir yeast mixture into lukewarm milk mixture
7. Add eggs and 3 cups of sifted enriched flour
8. Beat until smooth
9. Stir in an additional 2 cups of sifted enriched flour
10. Turn dough out on lightly floured board
11. Knead until smooth and elastic
12. Place in greased bowl
13. Brush top with soft shortening
14. Cover
15. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour)**
16. Punch down and turn out on light floured board
17. Proceed according to type of rolls being made

Action Quick Dough variation:

*Use 3 packages or cakes of yeast instead of 2
**Let dough rise in bowl for about 45 minutes

Palm leaf rolls instructions here
Cinnamon twists instructions here
Pan rolls instructions here
Rosebuds instructions here

Seed Cake

This typewritten recipe for a bundt cake has limited instructions but seems fairly straightforward.

Ingredients:

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 1 package instant lemon pudding
• 1 cup water
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 4 tablespoons poppy seeds

Instructions:

1. Combine ingredients
2. Bake in greased and floured bundt pan at 325°F for one hour or until done

Pineapple Carrot Cake

This recipe isn't in Grammy's handwriting. Since it is noted as being from the kitchen of Alta Camp, it is probably in Alta's handwriting. Alta's notes at the bottom of the recipe, "Better if made several days ahead and kept in ref [refrigerator]."

Ingredients for cake:

• 1 1/4 cups salad oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1 cup drained crushed pineapple
• 1 cup nuts

Ingredients for glaze:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cube Nerco [probably a brand of margarine—I'd use butter]
• 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions for cake:

1. In a bowl, mix salad oil, eggs, and sugar
2. Sift together in a separate bowl flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
3. Beat dry mixture into first wet mixture
4. Mix in vanilla
5. Add carrot, pineapple, and nuts
6. Pour into well-greased 13-inch by 9-inch by 2-inch pan
7. Bake at 325°F for 55 minutes
8. Test middle with toothpick. When it comes out clean, it's done

Instructions for glaze:

1. While cake bakes, combine ingredients in a large saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes
2. After cake is baked, pour glaze slowly over hot cake

Merry-Go-Round Cake

This recipe appears to have been carefully cut out of a magazine because it has graphics on the backside. However, it is on thick paper similar to what would be used for product packaging. Since this recipe calls for a specific brand name of baking powder, it was probably on the package of baking powder. There are a few hints that indicate this recipe is probably pre-1940s: 1) the paper is aged; 2) it calls for butter (most post-WWII recipes I've found used margarine instead of butter); and 3) the described baking pan is a "tin" or "iron spider" which seem like older terms. I looked up what an "iron spider" is and found that it is a cast iron skillet (I saw some with raised legs).

[To read more about iron spiders click here]

Ingredients for cake:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 cups pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for frosting:

• 2 cups confectioner's sugar [powdered sugar]
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons hot milk or cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additional decorations:

• animal crackers
• food coloring
• pink candles

Instructions for cake:

1. Cream butter
2. Add sugar slowly and beaten egg
3. Beat batter until very light and fluffy
4. Sift flour and baking powder together and add a little at a time alternately with the milk
5. Add flavor [vanilla extract]
6. Put in small round greased tin or iron spider
7. Bake in moderate oven at 350°F for about 45 minutes
8. Turn out of pan and cool

Instructions for frosting and decorating:

1. Add butter to hot milk (or cream) 
2. Add slowly to sugar until the right consistency to spread
3. Ice top and side of cake
4. While icing is still soft, stand animal crackers, which have been decorated with daintily color icing, and pink candles alternately around the edge of cake

Makes a loaf about 8-inch in diameter

Lemon Supreme Special

This recipe is written in Grammy's handwriting and is attributed to Connie Sherwood.

Ingredients for cake:

• 1 Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix
• 1 cup apricot nectar
• 3/4 cups salad oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar

Ingredients for icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Mix cake mix, sugar, oil and nectar
2. Add one egg at a time, beating them in
3. Bake in tube pan at 350°F for 1 hour
4. Cool right side up for 15 minutes
5. Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice separately
6. Pour icing mixture over cake while still warm to make a glaze

Lemon Loaf Cake

This recipe is written in a handwriting I don't recognize. Since it says it is from the kitchen of Gae Barker, I suspect it is her handwriting.

Ingredients for cake:

• 1 package white or yellow cake mix
• 1-3 ounce package of lemon Jello
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup undrained crushed pineapple (do not drain)

Ingredients for icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

Instructions [pretty vague and do not include mixing steps]:

1. Bake at 350°F in 13-inch by 9-inch by 2-inch greased and floured pan until done [again, very vague without a specific baking time]
2. While cake is warm, poke fork in it all over, then pour icing over cake slowly

Hidden Gold Cake

This recipe is written in Grammy's handwriting. It is dated October 6, 1968 and attributed to the Sacramento Bee.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda [originally written as baking powder—she probably changed it for the altitude at which she was cooking]
• 1 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups grated raw carrots
• lemon frosting [probably store-bought]
• chopped nuts

Instructions:

1. Mix and sift dry ingredients
2. Add oil
3. Mix well
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well
5. Stir in carrots
6. Pour into 3 greased and flour 8-inch layer pans
7. Bake at 350°F for about 35 minutes
8. Don't open the oven door for the first 25-30 minutes of baking time
9. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes
10. Remove to cake racks
11. When thoroughly cool, frost with lemon frosting and garnish with nuts

Glenna's Fruit Cake

This recipe is in Grammy's handwriting and is attributed to "Glenna".

Ingredients for cake:

• 1 package Betty Crocker date bar mix
• 2/3 cup hot water
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons light molasses
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup chopped candied fruit
• 1 cup raisins

Ingredients for glaze (made and applied after cake has been stored for 2 to 3 days):

• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions for cake:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F
2. Grease and flour a 9-inch by 5-inch by 3-inch loaf pan
3. Combine date filling with hot water in large bowl
4. Add crumbly mix, eggs, dry ingredients and molasses
5. Blend well
6. Fold in nuts and fruit thoroughly
7. Pour into prepared pan
8. Bake about 1 hour 20 minutes or until toothpick stuck in center comes out clean (if a smaller 8.5-inch by 4.5-inch by 2.75-inch pan is used bake for 1 hours and 45-50 minutes)
9. Cool
10. Wrap well in aluminum foil
11. Store in cool place 2 or 3 days before slicing

Instructions for glaze (made and applied after cake has been stored for 2 to 3 days):

1. Combine light corn syrup and water in a saucepan
2. Bring to a rolling boil
3. Cool
4. Pour over fruitcake
5. Decorate top of cake with bits of candied fruit dipped in corn syrup

Barbara's Glazed Pineapple-Carrot Cake

This recipe is in Grammy's handwriting and is attributed to "Barbara". This cake is served with a homemade buttermilk syrup that might be good to use on other things like pancakes.

Ingredients for cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup salad oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 can (8 1/2 ounces) crushed pineapple, well drained
• 2 cups finely shredded carrots
• 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (almonds or pecans)
• 1 cup flaked coconut

Ingredients for buttermilk syrup:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine
• 2 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions for cake:

1. Sift flour
2. Measure and sift flour with sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl
3. Beat eggs together with the oil, buttermilk and vanilla
4. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients all at once and mix until smooth
5. Mix in pineapple, carrots, nuts and coconut
6. Pour into lightly greased and floured 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan
7. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until center spring back when lightly touched
8. Remove cake from oven and lightly prick it all over with a fork
9. Slowly pour hot buttermilk syrup over the cake

Instructions for buttermilk syrup:

1. Put sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter and light corn syrup in a saucepan
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat
3. Boil for 5 minutes
4. Remove the sauce from heat
5. Add vanilla and stir in
6. Slowly pour syrup over cake that has been lightly pricked all over with a fork (as indicated in previous instructions for cake)

Helen's Cocoa Apple Cake

This typewritten recipe is dated August 16, 1972. Helen Wilson was one of Grammy's best friends. I'm certain this recipe is from her.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup margarine [I'd use butter]
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup finely chopped nuts
• 2 cups grated apples or 2 cups applesauce
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Beat together eggs, sugar, margarine [or butter], and water until fluffy
2. Sift together flour and other dry ingredients in separate bowl
3. Add sifted dry ingredients to creamed mixture
4. Mix well
5. Fold in nuts, chocolate chips, apples, and vanilla
6. Spoon into greased and floured 10-inch loose-bottom tube pan
7. Bake in 325°F oven for 60-70 minutes until cake tests done

Alta's Rhubarb Cake (untested)

This recipe is written in Grammy's handwriting. It is attributed to Alta Hall and is dated August 1975.

Ingredients for cake:

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
• 4 cups chopped rhubarb, floured

Ingredients for topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Cream sugar and butter
2. Add egg; beat well
3. Sift dry ingredients
4. Add alternately with milk to creamed mixture
5. Add rhubarb and vanilla; mix well
6. Pour into 9-inch by 13-inch pan
7. Mix remaining ingredients until crumbly
8. Sprinkle over batter
9. Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes

Coffee Cake (untested)

This recipe is written in a handwriting I recognize as possibly my aunt's.

Ingredients for cake:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 3 eggs

Ingredients for topping:

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• melted butter [no amount is indicated]

Instructions:

1. Pour into layer cake tins
2. Sprinkle on topping on before baking
3. Bake at 350°F [no time is included]

Molasses Cake (untested)

This recipe is written in Grammy's handwriting with an attribution to the Ford Times and a date of November 1973.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups flour (Grammy's note: "I used whole wheat flour and blackstrap molasses")

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Beat in eggs
3. Add baking soda to molasses
4. Sift dry ingredients together
5. Add, alternating milk, molasses and dry ingredients
6. Bake in 9-inch by 13-inch by 2-inch pan in 350°F oven for about 45 minutes

Fruit Cocktail Cake (untested)

This recipe isn't written in Grammy's handwriting. The name "Alberto" is in the upper right corner of the card. Grammy's handwriting appears on the upper left corner of the card with the date and attribution "FRDH 4-74".

Ingredients for cake:

• 1 can fruit cocktail (303 size)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cube oleo [I would use butter]

Ingredients for icing:

• 1/2 cube oleo [I would use butter]
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canned milk [I would assume this means sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated]
• 1 cup coconut

Instructions:
Mixing instructions are missing on this recipe. Baking temp and time are 350°F for about 30 or 40 minutes or until brown. Icing should be poured on warm cake.

Creative Cupcake Idea (untested)

This isn't a true recipe. It's actually a creative way of baking and serving cupcakes. It is written in Grammy's handwriting and attributed to "FJ" with a date of February 1975.

Idea: Bake cupcakes in ice cream cones

Instructions:

1. Place flat-bottomed cones in muffin pan cups
2. Fill cones slightly over 1/2 full with batter and bake like cupcakes
3. Cool and frost with fluffy white frosting
4. Top with maraschino cherry

Lazy Daisy Cake (untested)

This recipe is written in a handwriting I don't recognize on a piece of folded paper. Interestingly, a recipe for meat loaf is on the second side with the frosting recipe (I've posted the meat loaf recipe separately here). This was probably something one of Grammy's friends jotted down for her.

Ingredients for cake:

• 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 1 cup oats (uncooked)
• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Ingredients for frosting:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons Half & Half or milk
• 1/3 cup chopped nuts
• 3/4 cup coconut

Instructions:

1. Pour boiling water over oats, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes
2. Cream butter and eggs, beating until fluffy
3. Blend in vanilla and eggs
4. Add oats mixture and mix well
5. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg
6. Add to creamed mixture
7. Mix well
8. Bake in a 9-inch pan at 350°F for 50 to 55 minutes
9. Spread frosting evenly
10. Broil until bubbly

It is interesting to note that both this cake recipe and the meatloaf recipe call for oats. I wonder if Grammy and a friend were chatting and a friend recommended these two recipes as creatives ways to use oats. 

Tomato Cake (untested)

This recipe is written in Grammy's handwriting and is attributed to Kennedy.

Ingredients for cake:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup nuts
• 1 tablespoon lemon skin
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 can Campbell's tomato soup

Ingredients for filling:

• 1 package Philadelphia cream cheese
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon cream (if desired)

Instructions for cake (incomplete):

1. Sift all dry ingredients together
2. Add raisins and nuts
3. Add soup last

Instructions for filling:

1. Mash cream cheese well
2. Add powdered sugar and vanilla
3. If too thick, add cream

There are no instructions for baking temperature or time. Also, I'm curious if the filling is supposed to be used as frosting or if another frosting is supposed to be used.

Standard Butter Cake (untested)

This recipe appears to be Grammy's early handwriting. It also appears to be missing some of the instructions.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup fat [probably butter since this is a butter cake]
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions (incomplete):

1. Cream fat and sugar
2. Add yolks and vanilla
3. Alternate milk and dry ingredients and fold in whites

Pound Cake (untested)

This recipe isn't written in Grammy's handwriting except for the addition of the notation "Rozelia's" in the upper left corner. The recipe is noted as "delicious" by the writer.

Interestingly, the recipe shows both an oven temperature and the definitions "moderate" and "slow". This may help us determine the baking temp and time of other recipes that are to be baked in a "moderate oven" or "slow".

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups Sperry drifted flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons double action baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening (writer says she used Crisco and "it was a very good cake")
• 3/4 cup undiluted evaporated milk
• 1 whole egg (unbeaten)
• Extract to taste [could this be vanilla extract?]
• Fruit or nuts added if desired ("This cake is grand cook in (loaf pan) about 5 in deep")

Instructions are not present for the recipe except for an oven temperature of 325°F and the note "bake slow–moderate–1 hr + 10 min.".

Pineapple Cream Filling (untested)

This recipe is written in Grammy's handwriting and probably pre-dates 1941 (the year she got married).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grated pineapple and juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 egg

Instructions:

1. Heat pineapple and juice in a saucepan
2. Add flour and sugar
3. Cook until no starchy taste
4. Add egg and butter
5. Cook until no egg taste
6. Cool before spreading on cake