CAKES...A Symbol of Home Life

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

From the beautiful cake for the announcement party-to the triumphantly towering wedding cake--and children's birthday cakes, blazing with candles--to the proud cake celebrating the silver or golden wedding --cakes play an important role in the most significant moments in our lives.  ~Betty Crocker

I consider cake right up there with pie as a total comfort food. My mother remembers her Italian Nana ,Anna making fabulous four layer cakes every Sunday. After church you stopped by for meatballs and pasta and the crown jewel for dessert--cake.  Sadly, I don't have those memories.

 I made a spice cake from my vintage Betty Crocker cookbook and it hit me, when did we stop making cake from scratch. A little checking and I came across this 1950's TV commercial for Betty Crocker cake mixes. The commercial is a hoot! I guess it came about in the 50's that cake mixes were introduced into the homemaker's life. Simpler and easier sure. Yet, I think we have lost a bit of something when we don't make a "from scratch" recipe. There aren't too many preservatives and additives in our food when we bake or cook from scratch. And we are carrying on a lost art, the art of creating beautiful food with our own hands. Now, I am just as thankful for box mixes as the next gal, and I will let you in on a secret; I adore Pillsbury Brownie Mix....shhhhh....don't tell please! I don't like scratch brownies..whooo a burden has been lifted...LOL! Yes, I do use the occasional cake mix, but not always. Frosting from scratch is just 100% better than the canned stuff! That I will always take the time to make. Below the commercial is the spice cake I made from my vintage BC cookbook, it was delicious. If you click on the recipe pic it will enlarge it if you wish to try it. It was a snap!

***Remember to turn the playlist off at the bottom of the page in order to hear the commercial***

 

Isn't that Betty darlin'!






10 comments:

  1. What a fun post! I agree that there is something special about cakes. I love to make birthday cakes especially--there is something almost magical about a birthday cake to small children. Even to adults, a cake signifies that is it a special occasion. But I shouldn't have read this post while I'm hungry...:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. My daughter use to make the birthday cakes. She is away at college and then getting married, so the job is back onto me. I am lazy and use box cakes, but I have another up and coming cook who is good at making cakes. Thank you for your wonderful post.

    http://debbiellbriskincare.blogspot.com/
    MBC

    ReplyDelete
  3. I LOVE homemade cakes, carrot, chocolate, spice, coffee, plain, sponge...oh my...I think some baking is going to get done soon. Thanks for your post, I wholeheartedly agree. Blessings, Heather

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey, is Betty Crocker related to Mary Poppins?
    Remember, Mary was "practically perfect in every way". LOL

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a hoot!! Oh, my, I remember seeing "Betty Crocker" as a child in those ads. She sounded so believable. Yes, I keep a box (of Pillsbury, though) on hand, just in case. I do prefer starting from scratch, though, and have a couple of favorites on my own blog. Changes in texture as well as tastes.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fun post! Last year my mom found me a glass cake stand with lid at a garage sale. For a while I always had something in it, usually some sort of cake, though occasionally a pie. Your post has me wanting to take it out of the cabinet and put it to work again! I have some browned bananas that would make a great banana cake. I think I have a project for tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a great post and I adored the old Betty Crocker commercial. I too love box mix brownies much better than from scratch but there's nothing better than a homemade from scratch cake and frosting.
    Thanks for a fun post.
    Birgit

    ReplyDelete
  8. I enjoyed the commercial! :) Now I need to bake something...have a brownie mix around here somewhere, lol! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for reminding me that I need to start baking cakes-a lost art for sure!
    Jana

    ReplyDelete
  10. I just had to tell you I loved the Betty Crocker commercial, brings back many memories. I think I will really enjoy following this blog, I am a homemaker and have always loved it, but always felt I had to justify why I wasn't part of the regular work force, glad to know there are others like me that are very content and happy to put my family first. Can't wait for the next post. Thanks, Dianne

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for poppin' in and saying hello! I read all my comments and any questions I answer right here, so if you have one, check back:-)
Have yourself a darling day,
Suzanne a.k.a. Not Quite Donna Reed