This recipe folder was published by Swans Down in 1944 (General Foods Corp.) and it folds down into a little booklet just over 3″x2″. There are a few recipes and tips for baking cakes with Swans Down, everything’s typed out below along with a scan of the sheet (broken into sections for easier reading).
Other than the cover and bottom guarantee images, everything’s clickable if you’d like to view larger copies.
3 new “Mix-Easy” cakes and 6 decorating ideas!
SWANS DOWN “MIX-EASY” CAKES—
Mixed in HALF the time – Keep fresh longer – Taste richer!
Everywhere women are simply delighted with this new Swans Down “Mix-Easy” way to make cakes! It’s so simple…so quick…and the cakes are marvelous!
Just one thing: be sure to use Swans Down. These “Mix-Easy” recipes are not guaranteed to succeed with any other cake flour.
Of course, Swans Down itself hasn’t changed. You can still use it as always in your favorite recipes. But don’t try to adapt older recipes to this “Mix-Easy” method. These recipes are special!
Remember–always use Swans Down and a “Mix-Easy” recipe to make a “Mix-Easy” cake.
This is No. 4 of Swans Down’s “Mix-Easy” Cake package inserts. Watch for these handy recipe folders when you open a box of Swans Down Cake Flour.
3 new “Mix-Easy” cakes
ORANGE LOAF CAKE
Preparations:
Have the shortening at room temperature. Grease 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, line bottom with waxed paper, and grease again. Start oven for moderate heat (350°F.). Sift flour once before measuring.
Measurements:
Measure into sifter:
2 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
2 teaspoons Calumet Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
Measure into bowl:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
Measure into cup:
3/4 cup milk
Have ready:
2 eggs, unbeaten
Now the “Mix-Easy” Part:
Mix or stir shortening just to soften. Sift in dry ingredients; add 1/2 of liquid and the eggs. Mix until all flour is dampened; then beat 1 minute. Add remaining liquid, blend, and beat 2 minutes longer. (Count only actual beating time. Or count beating strokes. Allow at least 100 full strokes per minute. Scrape bowl and spoon often.)
Baking:
Turn batter into pan. Bake in moderate oven (350° F.) 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until done. Let cool in pan.
LUSCIOUS COCOA CAKE
Preparations:
Have the shortening at room temperature. Grease pans, line bottoms with waxed paper, and grease again. Use two 8-inch layer pans or an 8x8x2-inch pan. Start oven for moderate heat (350° F.). Sift flour once before measuring.
Measurements:
Measure into sifter:
1 1/2 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Measure into cup:
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Measure into bowl:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
Have ready:
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
3 eggs, unbeaten
1/2 cup Baker’s Breakfast Cocoa blended with 1/2 cup cold water
Now the “Mix-Easy” Part:
Mi or stir shortening just to soften. Sift in dry ingredients. Add brown sugar. (Force through sieve to remove lumps, if necessary.) Add 1/2 of milk and the eggs. Mix until all flour is dampened; then beat 1 minute. Add remaining milk and the cocoa-water mixture, blend, and beat 2 minutes longer. (Count only actual beating time. Or count beating strokes. Allow at least 100 full strokes per minute. Scrape bowl and spoon or beater often.)
Baking:
Turn batter into pans. Bake in moderate oven (350° F.) about 30 minutes for layers, or about 55 minutes for 8x8x2-inch cake.
Mix by hand, or with electric mixer, using low to medium speed.
Preparations:
Have the shortening at room temperature. Grease 10x10x2-inch pan, line bottom with waxed paper, and grease again. Start oven for moderate heat (375° F.). Sift flour once before measuring.
Measurements:
Measure into sifter:
2 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons Calumet Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
Measure into bowl:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
Measure into cup:
2/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Have ready:
2 eggs, unbeaten
1/4 cup burnt brown sugar syrup*
* To make burnt sugar syrup, heat 2/3 cup dark brown sugar in heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until all is melted. Raise heat and stir until syrup smokes. Remove from heat; add 1/3 cup hot water very slowly and stir to dissolve. Cool. Measure 1/4 cup syrup for cake; use remainder in frosting.
Now the “Mix-Easy” Part:
Mix or stir shortening just to soften. Sift in dry ingredients; add 1/2 of liquid and the eggs. Mix until all flour is dampened; then beat 1 minute. Add remaining liquid and burnt sugar syrup, blend, and beat 2 minutes longer. (Count only actual beating time. Or count beating strokes. Allow at least 100 full strokes per minute. Scrape bowl and spoon or beater often.)
Baking:
Turn batter into pan. Bake in moderate oven (375° F.) 45 minutes, or until done. Frost with Burnt Sugar Frosting.
BURNT SUGAR FROSTING
Combine in top of double boiler: 1 unbeaten egg white, 3/4 cup sugar, dash of salt, 3 tablespoons water, 3/4 teaspoon light corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons burnt sugar syrup. Beat with rotary egg beater until thoroughly mixed. Place over rapidly boiling water, beat constantly with rotary egg beater, and cook 4 minutes, or until frosting will stand in peaks. Remove from boiling water and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until thick enough to spread. Makes enough frosting to cover top and sides of 10x10x2-inch cake or top and sides of two 8-inch layers.
How to make SWANS DOWN “Mix-Easy” cakes look gay and festive–
- Spread Orange Loaf with thin lemon frosting. Arrange in overlapping slices on glass plate around a small crystal bowl of flowers.
- Frost Burnt Sugar Cake. Pour bittersweet chocolate coating from tip of spoon in tiny ribbons over frosting. For this, melt 1 teaspoon of butter with 1 square Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate.
- Frost Luscious Cocoa Cake with Mocha frosting. Sprinkle chopped, toasted nut meats in one-inch border around top edge.
- For St. Patrick’s, frost Luscious Cocoa Cake with white frosting. Trace a St. Patrick’s hat or shamrocks on top and fill in with green sugar or candies. Serve on plate or tray, surrounded with ferns.
- Use Burnt Sugar Cake and chocolate frosted Luscious Cocoa Cake. Cut cakes in 2-inch squares and arrange, checkerboard fashion.
- Top Burnt Sugar Cake with pecan meats in rows so that, when cut, each piece has a nut in center of top.