I baked with my young friend Rasmus last weekend. He is 13 and a very impressive pastry chef in the making. He has surpassed many bakers three to four times his age. One of the cakes we baked was a delicious jelly roll cake. These are the favorite cakes of my youth. Right up there with the famous “crazy cake” – no eggs! That’s just CRAZY! I found the recipe for my first jelly roll cake with step-by-step pictures in my mom’s Betty Crocker cookbook when I was the same age as Rasmus. I liked to fill them with a homemade pudding, so you had to eat the cake quickly or it became mushy and soft. The jelly roll is the perfect cake because the good stuff
is on the inside of the cake. Rasmus filled his with homemade jam, and a cream cheese whipped cream. (His only downfall was the 1/2 cup of YUCKINNI he added to the batter….yes I ate it, and no I could not taste it, and yes the cake was moist and delicious….still not a fan.) Nice try Rasmus!
I just read a friend’s post on Facebook about her old Betty Crocker cookbook being a scratch and sniff book. I know EXACTLY what she means. My mom’s cookbook was filled with drops of batter and smudges of frosting of all different kinds. The dessert section was the most used and appreciated, although I did try my hand at some of the quick breads and appetizer sections once in a while. Funny that years later these are still my favorite recipes to make. Is there anything better than a thick slab of banana bread with real butter to bring you back to Grandma’s kitchen?
I am old school. I still have all my cookbooks and the recipe boxes from my grandma and great-grandma. These old cards also have some scratch and sniff qualities about them too. I look at these cards in their original cursive handwriting, usually with the recipe hosts name written in the right corner, and I feel so connected with the women of my past. I see these cards laying on their kitchen tables or held in their hands, and know the joy my grandmas felt in bringing delicious food to their families all those years ago. Maybe they dreamed too of one day being a pastry chef? A toast to the fulfillment of dreams! Peace, Sandy
“If baking is any labor at all, it’s a labor of love. A love that gets passed from generation to generation.” ~ Regina Brett
Betty Crocker Jelly Roll Cake
(No Zucchini)
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar
About 2/3 cup jelly or jam
Heat oven to 375° F. Line 15x10x1 -inch pan with waxed paper, foil or cooking parchment paper; generously grease waxed paper or foil with shortening.
In medium bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until very thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in granulated sugar. Beat in water and vanilla on low speed. Gradually add flour, baking powder and salt, beating just until batter is smooth. Pour into pan, spreading to corners.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately loosen cake from sides of pan and turn upside down onto towel generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. Carefully remove paper. Trim off stiff edges of cake if necessary. While cake is hot, carefully roll cake and towel from narrow end. Cool on cooling rack at least 30 minutes.
Unroll cake and remove towel. Beat jelly slightly with fork to soften; spread over cake. Roll up cake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Chocolate Crazy Cake
3 cups cake flour, sifted
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons white vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups cold water
Powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine cake flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Make 3 holes in mixture. Into the first hole, pour the vanilla extract, into the second hole, the vinegar and into the third hole, the vegetable oil. Pour cold water over all. Mix with fork or wire whisk until well blended; do not overbeat. Mixture may contain some small lumps. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.
Banana Bread
2 to 3 very ripe bananas, peeled
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar (1/2 cup if you would like it less sweet, 1 cup if more sweet)
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350° F (175°C), and butter a 4×8-inch loaf pan.
In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.
Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour.
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour at 350° F or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then remove the banana bread from the pan and let cool completely before serving. Slice and serve. (A bread knife helps to make slices that aren’t crumbly.)