From Penny's Table
Christmas Cakes

Each year at Christmas we were guaranteed to have certain cakes. Granny never let the holiday go by without a Japanese Fruit Cake, a fresh Coconut cake, or a Pound Cake. Mama always prepared Carrot Cake with Secret Icing. Grandmama made Indian Warpath Cake with a caramel frosting and Devils Food cake with white icing. Aunt Mary Jo made Red Velvet Cake. Each cake was stunning, made laboriously from scratch. Granny still stirs all her cake batters by hand despite the Sunbeam stand mixer in the corner!

I won't give the recipes for each and everyone of these cakes. Most can be found online in a number of recipe archives. Some, like Granny's cake recipes, are known only to her. But there's no doubt, that at least one column should be devoted to holiday cakes!

I love the flavors of this cake, rather similar to a fruit cake flavor. This is one that I served at all our Christmas dinners. You'll find the family enjoys this cake far better than any fruitcake however! I found the recipe in an old Betty Crocker cookbook.

Williamsburg Orange Cake

2 3/4 cup self rising flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsps vanilla
1 cup golden raising, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 tbsp grated orange peel

Mix all ingredients on low speed, then on high speed for no more than 3 1/2 minutes. Pour into prepared floured and greased pan(s). I prefer to make this as a layer cake (it will make 3 layers). Bake layers for 30-35 minutes, oblong for 45-50 minutes. Cool and frost.

Williamsburg Orange Frosting

1/2 cup butter
4 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
4-5 tbsps orange juice
1 tbsp grated orange peel

Blend butter and sugar, gradually add juice and peel. Beat until smooth. Spread on cooled cake layers.

This next cake is stunning with it's smooth white frosting and rich dark interior. Grandmama's recipe for frosting didn't include butter but Crisco shortening, keeping the frosting a pristine white. You'll find the frosting very similar to the commercially prepared frostings in most supermarket bakeries. Add to the frosted cake's beauty by decorating with candied cherries and jellied candy holly leaves. I roll green gumdrops flat between two sheets of waxed paper, then cut out my leaf shape.

Grandmama cut corners in many ways. But it was always Hershey's cocoa and Crisco shortening on her pantry shelf. She used the cocoa to make the absolute best fudge I've ever had in my life, right on her stovetop. I've yet to replicate her recipe for that or for her devil's food cake. Luckily a boxed mix is a reasonable substitute for her cake recipe.

Knowing Grandmama's thrifty ways, I'd imagine she used this recipe because it didn't call for the more pricey butter. It is delicious just the same, and the shortening insures the perfect white frosting.

Grandmama's White Frosting

1 cup shortening (Grandmama always used Crisco)
2 pounds confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla, use clear if possible
1/4 cup milk

Whip shortening until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and alternately add sugar and milk. Do not make this frosting too thin! You want a nice fluffy thick frosting.

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