The Nelson Family Cookbook

[Table of Contents | Dedication | Breads | Soups | Vegetables | Salads ]
[Main Dishes | Cake & Frostings | Cookies, Bars, & Lefse | Pies & Desserts ]
[ Beverages, Snacks, Jam, & Pickles | Get a printable copy | Index ]

CAKE & FROSTINGS

Classic Carrot Cake

Sara Mueller


2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 cups finely grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch cake pans. Mix sugar, applesauce, buttermilk, honey, and eggs in large bowl of mixer. Beat until light. Sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add gradually to liquid mixture. Stir in lemon rind, carrots, raisins, and nuts. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes. The sides should begin to pull away and the center will spring back when lightly pressed. Turn onto a rack and cool. Serves 12. Per 4 1/2 ounce serving: 320 calories, 5.1 grams protein, 67 grams carbohydrates, 4.7 grams fat. 76 fewer fat calories per serving than traditional carrot cake made with oil.

Minnie's Boiled Spice Cake

Alice Sullivan & Harriet Stanley--Minnie Stanley's recipe


1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups raisins
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup lard (lard is in original recipe but you can use other shortening--Harriet)
4 cups flour
1 heaping teaspoon soda dissolved in a little hot water
1/2 cup nuts (or more), if desired

Boil sugars, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, raisins, water, and lard for 6 minutes; let cool. Add flour, soda, and nuts. Pour into 9 x 13 pan. Bake 1 hour at 350°. Harriet: Plain with whipped cream or brown sugar frosting. We like it just plain.

Boiled Cake

Olive Jacobson--recipe from her mom, Gladys Nelson


1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
1 cup lard (I use vegetable oil.)
3 cups water
1 cup raisins
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda dissolved in a little warm water

Cook sugars, salt, spices, lard, water, and raisins for 7 minutes. Add flour, and soda. Bake.
Frosting: 1 cup brown sugar, 3 teaspoons white sugar. Boil in a little cream and a little piece of butter.

Spice Cake

Carl Pearson


1 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup sour or buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
a little nutmeg
raisins

Bake in a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until done.

Butterscotch Frosting

Carl Pearson


1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons shortening
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Combine brown sugar, shortening, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add milk and boil slowly, 3 minutes. Cool. Add sugar and beat until thick enough to spread.

Oatmeal Cake

Joyce Mueller--recipe from her mom, Gladys Nelson


1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 cup quick oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups flour
cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pour water over oatmeal; let stand 20 minutes. Cream sugars and shortening. Add oatmeal and remaining ingredients. Bake in a 9 x 9 pan at 350° for 30-35 minutes.
Frosting: Combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/4 cup butter; boil 2 minutes.

Oatmeal Cake

Kathryn Stanley


1 3/4 cups boiling water
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pour water over oatmeal and let stand 10 minutes. Beat sugars and butter until smooth; add oatmeal. Add eggs; beat until smooth. Sift together remaining ingredients; add to mixture and mix until smooth. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan and bake 35 minutes at 350°. Put the following topping on hot cake right out of oven: 1/2-3/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup cream, 1 cup pecans, chopped, 1 cup coconut, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well and spread on cake. Put cake under broiler until the frosting is brown. This is a real moist cake and tastes good warm or cold, with or without ice cream.

Applesauce Cake

Carmen & Bill Biddle


1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 cup thick applesauce
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 or 1 1/2 cups raisins
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cream shortening and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Add applesauce, then dry ingredients. Beat until smooth; fold in raisins and nuts. Bake in greased and floured tube pan at 350° for 55 minutes. Serve plain or frosted, or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Can make in two loaves.

Prune Cake

Olive Jacobson--recipe from Alfhild Peterson

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup cooked, pitted prunes
1 cup walnuts
1 cup vegetable oil 		1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Icing (see below)
Blend sugar and oil, add eggs and mix well. Sift all dry ingredients together and mix into batter, alternating with milk. Add prunes, nuts, and vanilla. Pour into an ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Bake
for 1 hour at 325°. Leave cake in pan and while still hot punch holes into cake with a fork. Pour the following icing over immediately. (Punch holes entire length of fork tines.)

Icing:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon soda 		1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon white syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Boil above ingredients until it forms a soft ball. Pour over cake immediately. Do not overcook. Begin making icing about 15 minutes before cake is done so it will be ready to pour over hot cake.

White Frosting

Harriet Stanley


2 egg whites
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Crisco
1 teaspoon almond flavoring

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add 1 cup powdered sugar; beat well. Cream together Crisco and 1/2 cup powdered sugar; mix with egg whites and add another 1/2 cup powdered sugar and almond flavoring. Beat well. This is nice on a white cake mix (Betty Crocker) baked in a jelly roll pan or a layer cake or cupcakes. You can sprinkle with coconut.

Pumpkin Roll

Amy Jacobson


3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2/3 heaping cup pumpkin
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
nuts (optional)
Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat eggs for 5 minutes at high speed. Combine with sugar, lemon juice, pumpkin, flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Sprinkle top of cake with chopped nuts, if desired. Bake on a greased and floured jelly roll pan at 375° for 15 minutes. Turn onto towel; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool completely. Mix frosting and spread on cake, then re-roll. Chill, then wrap in plastic wrap. This freezes well and can be cut while frozen.

Rhubarb Cake

Olive Jacobson


1 egg, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
dash of salt
3 cups rhubarb, cut in small pieces.
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped nuts

Mix egg, sugar, yogurt, flour, soda, salt, and rhubarb. Put into a 9 x 13 pan. Before baking, sprinkle with mixture of brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and nuts. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.

Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Cake

Kim Toney


2 (1 oz.) unsweetened baking squares
1 1/2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups boiling water

In a large bowl, combine melted chocolate squares, Bisquick, milk, vanilla, and 2/3 cup sugar. Beat with whisk until smooth. Pour into a 12 x 8 pan. Sprinkle with cocoa and 1/3 cup sugar. Pour boiling water over all. Do not stir. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Serve immediately with ice cream or whipped cream.

Marble Swirl Pound Cake

Stacy Mueller


2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1/4 cup cocoa

Grease or spray 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan; set aside. In a large bowl with mixer at low speed, beat sugar and butter or margarine until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and milk; beat until well mixed. Add flour and remaining ingredients except cocoa; at low speed, beat until well mixed, constantly scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Increase speed to high and beat batter 4 minutes longer, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Preheat oven to 350°. Remove about 2 1/2 cups batter (about half) to medium bowl. With wire whisk or fork, beat cocoa into batter in medium bowl until well blended. Alternately spoon vanilla and chocolate batters into prepared pan. With blade of knife, cut and twist through batters in a zig-zag pattern to obtain marbled effect. Only go around the pan once. Bake one hour or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on rack. Slices best after cooling. Makes 16 servings. Recipe may be halved for use in an 8-inch, 6 cup bundt pan; reduce baking time to 45 minutes. I like to make this in a bundt pan--put it on a plate crusty side up when cooled.

German Chocolate Cake

Deb Stanley

1 stick margarine
1/2 cup salad oil
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa 		1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
vanilla
Sift dry ingredients. Bring margarine, oil, and water to a boil. Pour over dry ingredients. Add beaten eggs. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and add last. Bake in a greased 9 x 13 pan for 30 minutes at 350°.

Frosting:

1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup coconut
1 can evaporated milk 		3 beaten egg yolks
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cook butter, sugar, coconut, milk and egg yolks until thick. Stir constantly as frosting burns easily. Remove from heat and add nuts and vanilla. Cool, then frost cooled cake.

German Chocolate Cake

Kathryn Stanley


1 (4 oz.) package Baker's German Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
Coconut-Pecan Frosting (see next recipe)

Melt chocolate in water; cool. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg yolks. Stir in vanilla and chocolate. Mix flour, soda, and salt. Beat in flour mixture, alternately with buttermilk. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter into three 9-inch layer pans, lined on bottoms with waxed paper. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed in center. Cool 15 minutes; remove and cool on wire rack. Frost cake between layers and on the top only, with Coconut-Pecan Frosting.

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

Kathryn Stanley


1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
3/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups Baker's Angel Flake coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in coconut and pecans. Cool until thick enough to spread. Makes 4 1/4 cups.
This is Marty's birthday cake, and he does not like to share it.

18 Minute Cake

Kathryn Stanley

2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa (I use a little more.)
1 cup water 		1/2 cup salad oil
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
Combine flour, salt, sugar, and cocoa. Bring water, salad oil, and butter to a boil; combine with dry ingredients. Beat until creamy. Add buttermilk, baking soda, and eggs. Bake cake for 10 minutes at 400° or until the center springs back when touched. Be careful not to overbake the cake. Remove from oven to cooling rack. Frost cake while VERY HOT!

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup buttermilk 		1/2 cup marshmallows
4 cups powdered sugar
Boil butter, cocoa, and buttermilk. Add marshmallows; stir until melted. Add powdered sugar. Frosting will be thinner than normal frosting. Great for a quick dessert.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

DyVonne Nelson


1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Nestle's Quick
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine cream cheese, egg, 1/2 cup sugar, and chocolate chips; set aside. Measure dry ingredients and mix together the following: flour, 1 cup sugar, soda, salt, and Quick. Add water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Fill paper-lined cupcake pan about 1/2 full with the chocolate mixture. Put 1 heaping tablespoon of cream cheese mixture in the center of each cupcake. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Makes 20-24, needs no frosting.

The Nelson Family Cookbook

[Table of Contents | Dedication | Breads | Soups | Vegetables | Salads ]
[Main Dishes | Cake & Frostings | Cookies, Bars, & Lefse | Pies & Desserts ]
[ Beverages, Snacks, Jam, & Pickles | Get a printable copy | Index ]