Old Jacksonville White Cake

posted Jul 19, 2011 1:49 PM by Joanna Loops   [ updated Jul 26, 2011 4:13 PM ]
Since it’s trying to be spring here in the Rogue Valley, I thought a nice start to this column would be a recipe from a Hanley girl, Miss Alice.

My great grandmother, Mamie Cameron Venable, always made the best moist, white cake (it seemed like 7 layers to this little girl!) for the family out on the Applegate but I have never found her recipe.  Since she was a Jacksonville girl herself, maybe it was Alice’s, or close to it…
~dana tulley smith

Old Jacksonville White Cake

2/3 cup butter                            1 tsp. soda
2 cups sugar                              2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. salt                                  2 T. flour
2 cups cake flour, sifted                6 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
1 cup milk                                                                                 

  1. Beat butter and sugar until mixture is fluffy; add salt, sifted cake flour and milk alternately.
  2. Mix soda and cream of tartar with flour.
  3. Add batter to mixture
  4. Fold in egg whites carefully until well-mixed.
  5. Great and flour TWO 9"round cake pans. (for best results, place a round of parchment paper in the bottom of each cake pan to prevent sticking).*
  6. Pour batter into pans
  7. Bake at 325degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
*don't you suppose in today's world, our non-stick pans would work just fine?

Gran made a white frosting and covered the cake with lots of coconut, our family favorite.  I remember this as an Easter cake.  Miss Hanley mentions a delicious coconut cake if boiled icing is used and a generous amount of coconut  sprinkled on top and sides. Hope you enjoy and it brings back memories for you too…

If you have any special recipe you would like to share with us, email danajo2you@clearwire.net together with a short excerpt about your family’s recipe.