19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Tuesday, October 13, 1914: <<no entry>>
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Since Grandma didn’t write anything a hundred years ago today, I thought that you might enjoy this 1914 advertisement for Swans Down Cake flour.
That brand must not have been popular in our area…..I’ve heard of it, but my Mom never used it.
It’s still sold in the supermarket where I shop.
Back then ladies were a bit ashamed to make anything other than from scratch. I love these vintage ads you find for us.
I’m glad you like the ads. Sometimes I think that it’s a little sad that today many people seem to prefer commercially-prepared foods over home-cooked foods.
I have a box of Swans Down in my kitchen. It makes a lovely cake but the name, if I think about it, is not all that appetizing!
Cake flour does make good cakes (and I’m not going to think too much about the name). 🙂
Love all these old advertisements.
It’s nice to hear that you like the ads. I also enjoy them.
I wonder what are some of those baking secrets 🙂
I was thinking that I should look on Ebay to see if I could find the cake secrets booklet–but I never actually got around to doing it. 🙂
Oh yes. Swans Down Cake Flour! And one always had to sift the flour before using it.
I sold my flour sifter at a garage sale years ago. 🙂
I wonder if the purchaser planned to use it to sift flour — some arty thing — or just to add to an antique collection. Mine is gone too, but I don’t know which of my moves did it in.
I remember Swans Down Cake Flour. OHH makes me old…ha ha.
They still sell Swans Down Cake Flour around here–so remembering it doesn’t need to provide any clues about your age. 🙂
I always have a box of Swans Down cake flour in my pantry.
I generally just use all-purpose flour when I make cakes–but I always think that they would be lighter and fluffier if I had used cake flour.
Hmmm. Their ad is so good I wish i could find Swans Down cake flour today! 🙂
You might come across a box of Swan Down Cake Flour somewhere. They still sell it at a store when I often shop.
Too bad your grandma seems to be losing interest. I think your blog was one of the most interesting concepts ever. I wish others would take your lead. It is interesting to see what people did before computers and cell phones:)
Thank you for the kind words about this blog. I’ve really enjoyed doing it. In some ways I feel sad that Grandma is less interested in writing in the diary than she once was; in other ways I feel fortunate that she kept the diary for four years during her teens and that it provided a wonderful window into what she was like as a young woman.
Wouldn’t mind some of that!
I’m thinking that maybe I should buy a box of cake flour before I do my holiday baking. 🙂
I am rather slack and don’t use cake flour but it does make a difference. I buy all purpose most of the time. I think one can make all purpose better for cakes by adding cornflour; can’t remember.
I’m definitely rather slack (actually I’m probably very slack). It’s doubtful that I’ll actually remember to buy cake flour, and I will probably end up just using all-purpose flour. 🙂
And it will turn out fine. Guess what? I am making the famous cobbler again. 😀
Thanks for letting me know. It’s wonderful to know that you’ve enjoyed that recipe so much.
We really do.
Swan’s is the only cake flour I can find in local supermarkets, so I guess they’ve been around for a long time.
This was the cake flour I grew up with (I don’t see it anymore back home). Always printed at the back of the carton were the recipes for: 1) yellow cake, 2) angel’s food cake and 3) devil’s food cake. 🎂