Years ago I did a post on a hundred-year-old recipe for a spice cake called Feather Cake. I was anticipating a cake that was as light as a feather. But when I made the recipe, it had a nice taste – but was rather heavy. After I did the post, I promptly forgot the recipe. I had no desire to make it again, and it never was a popular post and got very few hits. So I was amazed last week when I suddenly started lots and lots and lots of hits on my Feather Cake post. I started researching the reason for the sudden bump in hits, and discovered that Simply Recipes had done a post on my hundred-year-old recipe for Feather Cake.
The Simply Recipes post was done by a baker at a Danish cafe in London. He made the Feather Cake recipe posted on my blog, and like me, concluded that it was not as light as a feather. He then adapted the recipe by adding additional fat and an additional egg. He also adapted how the ingredients were mixed together. Instead of putting all of the ingredients in a bowl and mixing, he first beat together the eggs and sugar, then beat in the fat and vanilla extract, and finally gently folded in the dry ingredients. He concluded that the “result is a fluffy, lightly spiced cake that lives up to its name.”
It’s amazing how a mediocre recipe was adapted to make an awesome cake. I think that I need to revisit some of the other “just okay” recipes that I’ve made over the years, and consider about how I might adapt them to turn them into amazing recipes.
Wow! That is amazing!
I know, I was really surprised.
Wow! What an exciting connection!
Agree!
It really does make a difference the order in which to add the ingredients. The fluffing of the butter and sugar is important, not only to add air but also to help the sugar to dissolve.
The Simply Recipes discussion about good procedures for mixing cake batter has made me more aware of the importance of using appropriate methods.
A few years back, I was feeling impatient and rather than using the flour-liquid-flour-liquid-flour method when making my cake, I took a shortcut and added all the liquid and flour at the same time. The cake did not rise right, and had a terribly tight crumb. Live and learn!
it seems that Simply Recipes has been featuring a number of retro recipes lately. I tried a Bisquick apple coffee cake from their newsletter just this past weekend. I haven’t baked with Bisquick since I was a kid, with my grandmother! But I needed something quick and easy to put together, and the only criticism I had was why hadn’t I made two cakes. Glad I didn’t reject it out of hand.
I’m going to have to sign up for the newsletter. The Bisquick apple coffee cake sounds good.
The world is getting smaller. That is really something that he found your recipe.
You’re right, the world has gotten so much smaller. It’s amazing how people from around the world are able to read blog posts via the internet – though I’ve also wondered how he happened upon that particular recipe.
I agree, Sheryl–it is curious sometimes what people were looking for when they happen across a post, due presumably from searching for something. It has been my experience in making some of the old family recipes that I had that cooks did not always write the instructions beyond the bare minimum. We have a beloved cake recipe from my mother’s collection, and I can follow it to the T and it still is not like hers was. My guess is she was doing something that was not written down. I think now I should investigate those ingredients and figure out what that might have been! Thank you for posting this, and giving us some additional perspective.
In general, recipe instructions are much more detailed now than what they were years ago. When making old recipes there is a lot of room for interpretation. Fingers crossed that you can figure out how to tweak your mother’s cake recipe so that it is the same as when she made it.
I did have a couple of days when a bunch of people in Japan were looking at my blog and I have no idea why.
It’s fascinating that your blog suddenly got lots of hits from half way around the world.
Yay You!! And yes, I agree, the way the ingredients are handled makes a huge difference. Good luck with your hunt for the “just okay” and may they turn out fantastic : )
Sometimes shortcuts are problematic and can really affect how a recipe turns out.
Looks interesting.
I like how he adjusted the recipe.
Yes.
How fun to find this!
It was a nice surprise.
Not sure my comment went thru so … just saying i am glad they mentioned your recipe!
cheers
Thank you – I appreciate the support and good wishes.
That’s the difference between a cook and a recipe-follower, isn’t it? My husband is in the latter group, and won’t attempt anything where he hasn’t got every last ingredient, however trivial. Whereas I read the recipe and adapt as I see fit, which saves on a disaster from time to time.
I like how you differentiate between a cook and a recipe-follower.
Excellent post Thanks