Streusel Cake and Variations

Cake Mix (Basic Recipe)
8½ cups flour, lightly spooned into cup
2 lbs. sugar (4½ cups)
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 lb. butter or margarine, cut into chunks, then softened
1 tablespoon salt

Put flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in very large bowl and mix well with large spoon. Cut in butter with pastry blender until very thoroughly blended (small lumps will reaming). Put in airtight containers or cover bowl with plastic. Will keep several days at room temperature, or refrigerate or freeze. Warm to room temperature before using. Stir mix before measuring. Makes 3 9-inch square cakes, six 8-inch or 9-inch layers or 48 cupcakes.

STREUSEL CAKES
Batter
Measure 4 cups mix, packing lightly in cup, and put in bowl. Add 2 large eggs, ¾ cup milk (all preferably at room temperature) and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened, then beat about 50 strokes with spoon (do not over beat; batter remains lumpy). Turn into greased and floured 9-inch square pan. Add preferred topping and bake on rack in center of 350˚ oven 40-45 minutes. Serve warm or cool.

Toppings
Almond:Mix ¼ cup each slivered almonds and sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle on batter.

Butterscotch-Nut:Work together with fingers ¼ cup softened butter or margarine, 2 tablespoons flour, ½ cup packed brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Mix in ½ cup chopped nuts. Drop by spoonfuls on batter.

Cranberry:Mix 1 can (8 oz) whole-cranberry sauce, ¼ cup packed brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Spoon in mounds on batter.

Crumb: Mix ¼ cup flour and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Work in 3 tablespoons each sugar and softened butter or margarine. Mix in ½ cup dry cake or bread crumbs. Sprinkle on batter.

Orange-Coconut: Mix ½ cup each flaked coconut and orange marmalade. Spoon on batter.

Preserves: Drop 1/3 cup raspberry, strawberry, apricot or other preserves in spoonfuls on batter. If desired, drizzle Lemon Glaze (at end of these recipe sheets) over warm cake.

Wheat-Germ or Cereal:Work together with fingers ¼ cup wheat germ (or crushed dry cereal), ¼ cup softened butter or margarine, ¼ cup packed brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle on batter.


Other cakes

Coffee Cake with Broiled Coconut Topping:Prepare Streusel Cake as directed and bake in 350˚ oven 45 minutes. Spread at once with mixture of 1 cup flaked coconut, ¼ cup chopped nuts, 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup softened butter or margarine and ½ cup well-drained crushed pineapple. Broil 8-10 inches from source of heat 5 minutes or until golden brown (watch closely; topping burns easily). Cut in squares and serve warm or cool.

Double-Chocolate Dessert Cake:Melt ½ cup semisweet chocolate pieces and stir in ¼ cup canned chocolate syrup. Cool slightly, then spoon over batter in 9-inch square pan. Bake as directed. (Chocolate goes through batter making a moist cake.)

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake:Drain 1 can (8 oz) chunk pineapple. Line 8-inch layer-cake pan with waxed paper. Put 2 tablespoons butter or margarine in pan and melt in 350˚ oven. Brush evenly over waxed paper. Sprinkle with ¼ cup packed brown sugar and arrange pineapple chunks on sugar. Prepare batter with 2 cups mix, 1 large egg, ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Turn into pan over pineapple and bake in 350˚ oven 30-35 minutes. Turn onto serving plate and peel off paper. Cut in wedges and serve warm with whipped cream or topping, if desired. Makes 4-6 servings.

Baking variations

Plain Square Cake: Prepare batter and turn into greased and floured 9-inch square pan. Bake in 350˚ oven 40-45 minutes. Serve warm as cottage pudding with lemon, vanilla or chocolate sauce. Or cool and frost as desired.

Layer:Prepare batter and turn into 2 greased and floured 8- or 9-inch layer cake pans. Bake in 350˚ oven 30-35 minutes. Turn out, Cool and front as desired. Or use for Boston Cream Pie.

Cupcakes:Prepare batter with 1 egg as for Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, above. Spoon into 8 greased medium cupcake pans cups. Bake in 375˚ oven about 20 minutes. Cool and frost as desired.

Three-Egg Almost Pound Cake: Prepared batter with 3 eggs, 6 cups mix, 1 cups milk and 1½ teaspoons vanilla (or 1 teaspoon vanilla and ½ teaspoon almond extract or other flavoring.) Turn into greased and floured 10-inch tube pan and bake in 350˚ oven about 1 hour. Cool in pan on rack about 10 minutes, then turn out on rack and cool completely. If desired, drizzle Lemon Glaze, below, over top of cake while still warm. Or cool and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Four-Egg Almost Pound Cake: Prepare batter with 4 eggs, 8 cups mix, 1 1/3 cups milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Turn into greased and floured 12-cup tube pan and bake in 350˚ oven about 1 hour. Proceed as for 3-egg cake, above.

Lemon Glaze:Mix ¼ to ½ cup confectioners’ sugar with enough lemon juice to make a glaze of drizzling consistency.