Baking without…Milk: Orange Marmalade Cake

Today I am revisiting the January 1945 issue of Woman’s Day to do some “Baking Without…Milk”. While fresh milk was never rationed in the United States, shortages and additions to rationing were always a possibility. Woman’s Day wanted to provide women with options when it came to baking for their families no matter what was in their pantry.

I recently blogged about another orange cake, the Pillsbury’s 75th Anniversary Cake. If you are interested in following the “Baking without…” series from the start, you can begin with Baking without…Eggs: Cocoa Cake with Chocolate Glaze.

Orange Marmalade Cake

1/4 c shortening

1 c sugar

2 eggs, grade B

3 tbsp marmalade

grated rind of one orange

2 1/2 c sifted cake flour

3/4 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

2/3 c water

1/2 tsp lemon extract

Cream the shortening then add the sugar gradually, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly. Add the marmalade and the grated orange rind. Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the water and lemon extract. Pour batter into two greased and floured 8-inch cake pans. Bake in a moderate oven, 350 °F for 40 minutes. Put the two layers together with frosting.

Note: 40 minutes would have been too long for this cake in my oven. The frosting used to put the cake together is a simple modern chocolate frosting recipe. It was the perfect compliment to the orange flavor of the cake.

Results

The cake was a bit dry, but that’s not surprising when you look over the list of ingredients. It’s not terribly dry, but if you are a fan of moist cakes. this might not be for you. The orange flavor, though…

I mentioned in a previous post that I keep finding recipes for orange cakes, so I wasn’t really surprised when “Baking without…Milk” included this orange marmalade cake. I wondered why they seemed to be so popular, but after having two cakes this month flavored with orange rinds and marmalade, I am beginning to understand. The orange flavor is just right. It’s sweet but not overly so, and it goes well with so many different other flavors. The chocolate frosting with the orange was a great combo. One of my boys is about to turn 15 and he has now requested an orange cake for his birthday. Why isn’t orange cake a more popular option today? Is it where you live?

I’m going to continue “Baking without…Milk” over the next several days, then I have some other post ideas about life in the kitchen. Home front housewives had things other than cooking to do and I’d like to visit some of those topics.