This is the week of our country’s independence, starting in 1776!
Happy birthday, America!
We are a patriotic family and so I try to show my support for our patriotic holidays as often as possible.
This Fourth of July I’m focusing on showing my patriotism through my baking.
After looking online and in magazines for ideas, I found dozens of baked goods reflecting red, white, and blue colors of our nation’s flag. Each seemed tempting — alas, my schedule didn’t allow for the time they would require.
Instead, I opted for something simpler but just as delicious – a patriotic trifle.
This is actually a yellow cake I baked in a pan and cubed in small dices (think communion squares).
I then combined the cubes in a sundae glass with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherry pie filling and whipped topping.
The result was a pretty and light dessert that is quick and easy to serve!
The idea to use yellow cake for a trifle, came to me while listening to a guest on a baking podcast. She commented how she believed every good cookbook should include a fantastic recipe for a yellow cake.
Frankly, yellow cake is a flavor I never paid much attention to for most of my life. Nothing about it stood out. They all seemed rather bland in flavor — unless the cake was dressed in chocolate frosting –that made it almost perfect!
Then I discovered this luscious yellow buttermilk cake recipe from the Milwaukee Gas Light Company Cookbook published in 1961.
The recipe is filled with whole eggs and buttermilk which makes it delicious and light and yellow!
Three egg yolks — one more than I typically use in a recipe – contribute to the pretty color. Another benefit of the yolks is extra fat which gives the cake a flakiness that can be hard to find in other made-from-scratch recipes.
Note: White cake recipes typically call for just egg whites, hence their color.
Another factor adding to this cake’s sunny color and moistness is buttermilk. I’ve mentioned before the brand of powdered buttermilk I keep in my pantry. My mother-in-law used it 25 years ago for her chocolate sheet cakes so this brand has been around for a while and is totally reliable.
Note: I find it helpful to use powdered buttermilk in the appropriate quantities so nothing is wasted. We don’t like buttermilk as a drink.
Another substitution I made was that for cake flour.
Having none on the shelf, I found this helpful adaptation in a 1983 hardback cookbook from the Frankenmuth (Michigan) Historical Association Volume III:
“For every cup of all-purpose flour remove 2 tablespoons of flour, replacing them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.”
So, for the 3 cups of cake flour in this recipe, remove six tablespoons of flour and add six tablespoons of cornstarch.
As you can see from the photos, it worked well in making the cake rise and have a moist texture.
Another modification I made (by accident) was to not separate the eggs.
Confession: I forgot this step until it was too late. I decided to risk the process and found the cake still turned light and fluffy.
Time-saver!
Of course, you can eat the cake as a regular slice, topped with frosting or whipped topping or a combination of these.
Any option is delicious!
So if your time is short this week to prepare for a picnic or get-together, make this cake and show your patriotic colors!
Happy Eating!
**
Yellow Buttermilk Cake
½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
2/3 c. margarine
1 ¾ c. sugar
3 eggs, separated
2 t. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk (I used powdered)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
Cream margarine and add sugar gradually.
Cream until fluffy.
Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. (I added yolks and whites)
Add vanilla to milk.
Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to cream mix. Mix lightly after each addition.
Beat egg whites until stiff and fold whites into batter. (I deleted these steps- see my notes above)
Pour batter into 9×12” pan.
Bake approximately 35 minutes or until toothpick in middle comes out clean.
Cool 5 minutes.
Remove cake from pan.
Cool on wire cooling rack.
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Vintage Eats of Kayleen Reusser 
Thank you for the information about powdered buttermilk. We are not fond of drinking it either and I have avoided recipes that use it as an ingredient because of the waste factor. This new to me ingredient is now on my shopping list. What worlds this will open!!
Thanks for your comments. I hope you have great success with your new buttermilk product!