Recipe Train

Karin Kramer enjoys baking her Grandma Voges’ signature dish: applesauce cake. “People came to expect her to bring it to church, and it was the dessert for nearly every holiday dinner and usually with homemade ice cream,” Kramer said.

Grandma Voges’ applesauce cake

CAKE:
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup dates     
1 cup raisins (If the raisins are dry, soak them in hot water for a few minutes and drain)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 16-ounce can of applesauce
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of cloves
1 teaspoon of ginger

FROSTING:
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
6-8 cups powdered sugar

For the cake, combine sugar, nuts, dates and raisins. Add melted butter and stir well. Add the beaten egg and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and spices and stir together in a separate bowl. Stir into other mixture. Add baking soda to applesauce and stir into batter. Pour into a greased and floured 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
For the frosting, cream the cream cheese and butter. Add milk and vanilla. Slowly add the powdered sugar to desired consistency. To prevent the powdered sugar from forming lumps, sift the powdered sugar into the cream cheese mixture. Frost cake when it’s cooled.

Also influenced by her grandmother, Kramer shared an icing recipe that is ideal for cake decorating. “Not too long after Randy and I were married, my grandmother bought me a basic set of cake pans and decorating tips along with a hard-covered Wilton book on cake decorating. She believed that a person should have a skill to fall back on for extra cash, and so my grandmother told me to learn to decorate cakes.”
The decorating icing recipe she uses is very similar to the recipe in the 4-H manual. It has a consistency that spreads out well, yet holds its shape for flowers and borders.

Cake decorating icing

2 cups shortening (about 1 pound)
2 pounds powdered sugar (about 8 cups)
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon almond flavoring
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring

Mix in order using a stand mixer. For chocolate decorating icing, replace half of the shortening with butter, add 1 cup cocoa powder (or more if you prefer) and use coffee instead of water.

Kramer also offered tips for improving boxed cake mixes. Instead of oil, use butter, anywhere from an equal amount or up to double the amount called for. Instead of water, use milk, coffee, lemon or orange juice, or pop. For a more dense cake, use an extra egg. To add richness, add 1/4-1/2 cup sour cream or 1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla or almond flavoring or both. Stir in chocolate chips, orange or lemon zest, and/or nuts. If you are making a double batch, mix it for the amount of time for one mix.

Next stop on the recipe train: Eric Conklin’s carrot cake
Chugga chugga chew chew!