My great-aunt's prune cake fell apart at a family picnic in Boise

Honestly, I was trying to make her old recipe for the first time for my cousin's birthday, but I didn't realize how much the dried fruit would weigh the batter down. The whole thing just collapsed in the middle when I took it out of the oven. I ended up turning the mess into a trifle with some whipped cream and it actually saved the day. Has anyone else had to rescue a family recipe disaster like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

faithg6514d ago

Oh man, the trifle save is a classic move. I read a whole article once about how a lot of old family recipes, especially ones with heavy fruit or nuts, were actually meant for different types of flour or pans than we use now. Your great aunt probably used a specific brand that absorbed more liquid. Turning a cake fail into a trifle or even just cake pops is honestly a life skill. It sounds like it still tasted great, which is what really matters at a family thing.

grant13013d ago

My grandma's handwritten apple cake recipe calls for "a cup of flour" but her old teacup held way more than a standard cup. I saw a baker test this, and using modern measures made the batter way too wet. Those old recipes are like a game of telephone through generations. You're right that the taste is what sticks with people, not if the layers held up perfectly.