Old recipes are where it’s at.
You know, people keep them around for a reason, right? It’s because they either sounded good at the time, they are good, or they’re time-tested and proven. Back in October 2010 when we celebrated the life of my Papa in Oklahoma I had the chance to go through a ton of old recipes from my great-grandparents’ house. Though I couldn’t take them with me, we did take photos of them all and slowly but surely are working our way through the deliciousness.
The recipe title is actually “$150 Waldorf Astoria Cake” but I took the price tag off…Lord knows it would cost so much more now! But let’s not talk about money – no, no – we’re here to talk cake. RED cake. RICH cake. Cake that will make you tastebuds dance with joy. Cake that will land you your dream job, dream spouse, and dream car.
OK, maybe that last sentence isn’t true. Or maybe it is. You have to be the one to test it out!
I know I usually write out the recipes at the bottom of posts, but I just love how this recipe card looks. It’s clear and every ingredient is measured out perfectly. The only thing I didn’t use was the coconut on the frosting because I just didn’t have any. If you have it I say go for it!
P.S. Can we talk about the frosting and how you thicken the milk with flour before beating it into the sugar/butter mixture? It’s techniques like that that you don’t see very often that I love. Makes me feel all old-timey and warm inside. Plus it’s one of those things that you do and the whole time pray, “Dear Lord, please don’t let me screw this up. I’m screwing it up. Uh-oh, gotta go!”
Or, you know, something like that. Ish.
But then magically it all comes together and you have this rich, creamy, white icing that you thought you were going to mess up and now it looks like a fluffy blanket from heaven. You want to both nap on it and eat it.
And I know it’s not going to just be me…
When adding the vinegar and soda it needs to be gently folded into the batter and only a few times is necessary so you do not overwork the batter. With the icing be very slow at adding the flour to the milk to make sure there are NO lumps. Before you continue to add the ingredients to the flour-milk mixture be sure it has cooled or it will separate (melting the Crisco) and not thicken. I have made this cake numerous times over the last 50 years (and even longer for my mother and grandmother) eventhou I try to eat healthier now, this cake (and icing) would not taste the same without Crisco. There is a BIG difference in the flavor between this cake prepared properly and the Red Velvet Cakes they currently sell in stores. Enjoy it and perhaps it will become a family tradition like it has with our family.
This is one of my families favorites and gets made for my father every year on his birthday in December.
We call red velvet cake “waldorf cake” at our house. I have a similar recipe card with butter spots all over it. This is the best cake and it totally reminds me of my mom! It’s all about technique with this cake and she taught me that timing is everything.
Was recently at lunch at the Waldorf in Park City…..OMG that place was gorgeous – had I know this cake was there too it would have been inhaled. Looks amazing!
So authentic! Love this one!
The recipe is identical to a traditional red velvet cake 🙂 Not the fake stuff you find now-a-days, but the classic kind. The real stuff. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I love the classics.
Ah love old recipes printed out like that! Old recipes that have stood the test of time! WINNER! Will definitely be making this as soon as I have an occasion… in fact, this cake is an occasion in itself! 🙂
Maybe I’m crazy for this, but I’ve never even heard of this phenomenon called Waldorf Astoria cake! Where have I been because this looks BEAUTIFUL!
YAY! I love when old recipes pop their head back up again!!
I could use a nibble or a few pieces 😉
xxooo
I want a piece!
So is this a red velvet cake of sorts can i ask? looks like it has all the components at least, I love to see recipes with history, so much more meaningful 🙂 This looks like a delicious cake indeed, I completely agree about hand-me-down recipes, i recently posted about my gran’s ginger biscuits – the one recipe i know will be 100% foolproof and nostalgia inducing 🙂 Lovely post, and a beautiful cake, saved for sure!
Looks good! It’s so wonderful to have recipes that are handed down through the family, the connection is awesome.
I love the old recipe typed out card. I need to get my hands on some of my grandmother’s. I think it would be cool to make a recipe book/scrapbook out of them all.
I adore old recipes, there is just so much history in them!
Old recipes are the best! Looks fantastic!!
This is like old school red velvet. Nice.
Cool picture of those old recipes! I have some old vintage (and dirty!) cookbooks sitting out as decoration in our den… they look awesome! One of them just says “MEAT” in jumbo letters across the front. 🙂
This kind of looks like red velvet cake, love it:-)
Love that overhead shot. And the vintage recipe! Quaint 🙂