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.
A Hundred Years Ago 
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. 🎂