Old-fashioned, American-style layer cakes, revised

Published by Jonell Galloway + Monday, November 14, 2011 Permalink 0

by Old Fashioned Living

I am not a lover of sweets, in fact most of the time I dislike them, which is quite a handy thing for my figure.

Still, sometimes, nostalgia takes over. I remember my great aunt’s fresh coconut layer cake, with the layers stacked high like a cathedral, and how the white coconut reminded me of angel’s wings. I remember moist chocolate layer cakes from childhood birthday parties. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, popular when I was in college. As a little girl, how pretty the name “red velvet cake” sounded. Gingerbread with hot butterscotch sauce on a cold winter’s day, made by my best friend’s mother on Saturday afternoons.

And no matter how good French pastries are, sometimes I just want an old-fashioned, American-style layer cake, the kind your grandma made just for you when she knew you were coming.

Epicurious has just come out with a list of their Old-fashioned Recipes and many of them are revised versions of old-fashioned recipes. More fresh fruit, less butter and sugar, which give the recipes a welcome modern edge.

If you’re really feeling nostalgic and want to forget about your cholesterol and waistline for just a day or two, Old Fashioned Living gives a number of Grandma-style recipes, as does Old-fashioned Recipes.

Most all of the ingredients are available abroad. If you can’t find them locally, you will certainly be able to order them online or find substitutions tables.