Recipe: Old Fashioned Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Browned Butter Frosting (1950's)

OLD FASHIONED VANILLA CAKE

2 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 1/2 teaspoons double acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 eggs, unbeaten
1 cup milk

Heat oven to 375 degrees, moderate.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.

Gradually blend in sugar with softened butter until fluffy. Mix in pure vanilla extract. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat batter one-half minute.

Bake in two well greased, lightly floured, round nine-inch layer cake pans, for 30 minutes or until done. Cool 10 minutes. Turn out on wire coolers to finish cooling.

Put layers together and cover sides and top with vanilla browned butter frosting.

Yield: Two nine-inch layers.

VANILLA BROWNED BUTTER FROSTING

1/2 cup butter
4 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
6 to 7 tablespoons light cream
1 1/2 tablespoons white corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped pecans
Whole pecans for garnish

Brown butter in a saucepan. Add confectioners' sugar alternately with cream and corn syrup. Stir in pure vanilla extract.

Spread part over top of one layer of old fashioned vanilla cake. Sprinkle with nuts. Place remaining layer over frosted layer. Spread frosting on sides and top of cake. Garnish with whole pecans.

Yield: Sufficient frosting for tops and sides of two nine-inch layers.
Source: Milwaukee Journal newspaper, Feb 6, 1958