Vintage Cake Recipes

Vintage cake recipes that you’ll still want to make today! I love all things vintage, and vintage recipes (or old fashioned recipes) are no exception. I think the art of cooking from scratch needs to preserved now and for our future generations. I don’t fault anyone for convenience cooking from time to time but nothing tastes as good, or makes you prouder than presenting a handmade / homemade meal or dessert you’ve prepared start to finish.

Before we get to vintage cake recipes you might also want to check out these articles:

Vintage Pie Recipes

Vintage Cookie Recipes

10 Reasons to Cook From Scratch

Vintage Cooking Skills for Today

How to bake a cake at home?

If you’ve never baked a cake, without a pre-made mix, it can feel really intimidating. But don’t be! People have been baking from scratch long before super markets existed; you CAN do this! I have a few tips for baking a perfect cake, using vintage cake recipes, or any homemade cake recipe.

Tips for Baking a Perfect Cake

Grease Your Pan

I know this seems like common knowledge but when you are not accustomed to baking or baking from scratch, you might need a reminder.

Use Parchment Paper

Even when you grease your pan, you should still line it with parchment paper (NOT WAX PAPER). You’ll never have another cake stick!
I prefer this unbleached and chlorine- free brand.

Use Fresh Ingredients

You want to know how to make a good and tasty cake at home? The best thing you can do is use fresh ingredients! Old, stale ingredients don’t just taste off, they won’t perform in recipes the way you expect (like batter not rising!).

Pre-Heat Your Oven

Fully pre-heat your oven. I do this before I even get my ingredients out. You might also want to test your oven temperatures to make sure your oven is reaching (not under or over) the temperature you’ve set.

To test your oven temperature hand an oven thermometer from the center or middle rack and pre-heat your oven to 350 ˚F. Allow the oven to heat up for about 20 – 25 minutes. Then take a temperature reading from the thermometer. Then take temperature readings again every 20 – 25 mins for 60 – 90 minutes total. Take your readings and average them out to see how calibrated your oven is to the temperature you’ve set.

Don’t Change the Ingredients

What is the easiest and quickest cake recipe?

Well easy and quick vintage cake recipes aren’t really “a thing”. You’re going to have to put some time into baking; but I promise it will be worth it. As you do more homemade baking you’ll find you can move through it faster and with ease.

What is your favorite vintage cake recipe?

I have to be honest, I don’t eat cake anymore. I have been Keto for almost 2 years. You can see more about that here. But prior to changing my way of eating Old Fashioned Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting was my absolute favorite, for just about every occasion. Well this isn’t entirely true, I make homemade cakes, occasionally, that fit into my Keto lifestyle.

5 from 1 vote

Grandma’s Vintage Butter Cake Recipe

Ingredients

2cupsall-purpose floursifted
1 1/4cuppure cane sugar
1tablespoonbaking powder
1teaspoonsalt
1/2cupbuttersoftened
1cupwhole milk
1.5teaspoonspure vanilla extract
2eggs

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 350˚F.
Grease two 8 inch x 2 inch baking pans (lining with parchment paper is recommended).
In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add butter, whole milk, and vanilla.
Using a hand mixer, beat for 2 – 3 minutes, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add eggs and beat for 1 – 2 minutes more.
Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally between the pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes
Test for doneness with a toothpick inserted in the middle, if it comes out clean, it’s done.
Remove from oven.
Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 – 15 minutes
Remove the cakes from the pans and continue cooling on racks, completely.
Once cakes are completely cooled, frost with homemade chocolate frosting; or the frosting of your choice.
Makes 2 single layer or one double layer cake.
See Also
The BEST Banana Pudding Cake (Bundt Cake Recipe) - Oh Sweet Basil

More Delicious Vintage Cake Recipes

Here are some more amazing old fashioned, cook for scratch, cake recipes for you to try at home.

Tomato Soup Spice Cake – this recipe dates back to the 1920s or 1930s, depending on who you ask. And it calls for good ‘ol tomato soup. Don’t knock it until you try it!

Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Sheet Cake – the perfect pot luck cake.

Watergate Cake – we make Watergate salad in my family but this vintage cake recipe for the 1970s takes that to the next level.

Buffalo Cake with Lemon Honey – Circa 1914, this is probably not one you’ve tried before!

Old Fashioned Poor Man’s Cake Recipe – thought to originate from the Great Depression (see Great Depression Recipes)

Pig Pickin’ Cake – The perfect picnic cake. This one does use a yellow cake mix, so less homemade than the others.

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake Recipe – original recipe is dated 1957!

Great Depression Era Chocolate Cake – this cake is made without eggs, milk or butter which were not readily available during the Great Depression.

Nana’s Red Earth Cake Recipe – you know when Nanas are cooking, it is going to be good!

Queen Elizabeth Cake Recipe – said to date but to Queen Elizabeth the 1st!

Old Fashioned Prune Cake Recipe – don’t let the prunes run you off. This is a vintage Southern recipe you’ll want to try.

Sweet Potato Pound Cake – a twist on a vintage cake classic.

I hope you have to opportunity to make one or all of these amazing vintage cake recipes. They continue to stand the test of time and should be passed down for generations to come.

Vintage Cake Recipes - the Imperfectly Happy home (2024)