This recipe is in loving memorial of my mother who passed away last month. We would have celebrated her 95th birthday on February 22. She shared it with our nation’s first president, George Washington, who admittedly was born much earlier in 1732. (See more on that below)
As his and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday were both in February (Lincoln’s was on the 12th), they have been celebrated mutually since 1968 on February 19th, which is an American national holiday called President’s Day.
Presidents Day is always celebrated on the third Monday of February. I’d wager that few people today even know Washington’s real birthday.
Mom was a third-grade teacher in the 1970s-1980s. Sometimes, upon learning of her birthday (she always treated her classes to cupcakes), her more spirited students would ask, “Are you as old as George Washington?”
I can’t guarantee they passed her class, but I’m sure she continued being the wonderful teacher so many people told us about at her funeral and in her online obit.
So in honor of Mom and George Washington who is known for not lying about cutting down a cherry tree (a myth?), I’m deviating from the traditional cherry pie recipe to provide a delicious Poppyseed Cake topped with maraschino cherries from a 1966 ‘Better Homes and Gardens Pies and Cakes’ cookbook.
Granted, the only cherries in this cake are on the top, but I think Mom would have enjoyed eating this luscious cake.
My sister found it in Hyde Brothers Booksellers in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and gifted it to me for this past Christmas. Little could we know I’d choose a recipe inside to honor our mother.
We miss you, Mom.
**
Poppy-Seed Cake
1/3 c. poppy seeds
¾ c. milk
¾ c. butter or margarine
1 ½ c. sugar
1 ½ t. vanilla
2 c. sifted cake flour
2 ½ t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
4 stiff-beaten egg whites
Cream filling (see below)
Soak poppy seeds in milk about 1 hour.
Cream butter. Add sugar gradually, creaming till light and fluffy
Beat in vanilla, milk, and poppy seeds.
Sift together dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture.
Fold in egg whites.
Bake in 2 greased and lightly floured 8-inch round pans in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 20-25 minutes or till done.
Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool thoroughly.
Cream filling:
Mix ½ c. sugar and 1 T. cornstarch in saucepan.
Combine 1 ½ c milk and 4 slightly beaten egg yolks; gradually add to sugar mixture, stirring well. Cook and stir till mixture thickens and boils about 1 minute.
Cool slightly
Add 1 t. vanilla and ¼ c. chopped California walnuts.
Split cooled cake layers. Spread cooled filling between layers. Chill 2-3 hours before serving.
Sift confectioners’ sugar over top.
My notes:
- Poppy seeds that were probably out of code date as they’ve been on my shelf for a while worked fine.
- I had to substitute regular flour for cake flour. Cake flour is now on my shopping list!
- Add ¼ t. cream of tartar to the egg whites to help them keep their shape – this is based on a tip from Julia Child on her ‘The French Chef Show’ on Youtube. Another win! Watch her video for the proper method of folding in egg whites. You want to keep in the air so the cake will rise.
- As my two cake pans were occupied with another baked good, I poured this batter into two slanted pie pans lined with pastry paper. By inverting one layer on top of the other after applying the filling in the middle, I created a sort of ‘UFO’ look before covering the top with filling and maraschino cherries. Unique!
- The walnuts were omitted as we don’t eat nuts in baked goods at home.
Vintage Find of the Week
My new interest in old stuff – otherwise known as ‘vintage’ by those who love old stuff like I do – has become well known among family members, resulting in several great gifts.
The same sister who gifted me with the vintage cookbook used in this post also shared this great red coffee percolator from her husband’s family. They lived in Kentucky and from its use, they enjoyed their coffee.
She knows my favorite color is red so this was a double win!
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Vintage Eats of Kayleen Reusser 
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