Kevin's Birthday Cake

[mixfinder]

The south gives America one of the best recipes ever written for cake. Known as the 1 2 3 4 cake, it has a cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of cake flour and 4 eggs.

1234 Cake
In the mixer place:
1 cup room temperature butter
2 cups sugar (If you powder the sugar in a blender adding to the butter, creaming time is almost zero)
Combine on medium low (beating too fast too soon just plasters the mixture on the side of the bowl)and increase speed to medium and walk away for a while.
4 large eggs
When the mixture resembles mayonaise, add the eggs on at a time beating well after each addition.

 

[mixfinder]

1 2 3 4 continued

Sift together
3 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
set aside

In a measuring cup combine
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To the creamed mixture add 1/3 of the flour ingredients and mix just flour disappears. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and blend until combined. Repreat with the flour and milk until all ingredients are added in. Increase speed to medium low and mix until well combined.

 

[mixfinder]

To the ovens

Divide cake between 3, 9 inch parchment lined cake pans. Use a scale if you have it to be sure layers are all the same size. Put the cake in a preheated 350 oven.

 

[mixfinder]

Dry as a Popcorn Fart

Bake exactly 22 minutes. If you have 9 inches and the oven temperature is properly calibrated you can almost stake your life on the cakes being done in 22 minutes. Few things in life are worse than dry cake. When in doubt, pull it out. The cake should just spring back when lightly touched. A toothpick in the center should come out with with a few crumbs attached.

You can substitute the dry ingredients with self rising flour if you use sweet milk.

There is a reverse creaming method that works well. Place the butter and all the dry ingredients in the bowl and mix on low speed until the butter has disappeared into the dry ingredients. Combine all the wet ingredients including eggs. With the mixer on low add 2/3 of the wet ingredients. Mix 1 minute on medium speed. Reduce speed and add remaining wet ingredients. Increase speed to medium and beat 1 more minute. Of them all I prefer the old standard. The reverse method comes out feathery, just like a Betty Crocker and the self rising method is fine but lacks the added flavor dimension of the buttermilk.

 

[mixfinder]

Fill and Frost

I let the cakes cool in the pan. With the paper you're assured of full release. On a cooling rack there is risk of cracking the layer while it's hot and the crown of the cake gets caught in the wires. (If you cover the cake with saran wrap the second it comes out of the oven the cake will sweat and comes out more compact. Easier if your decorating)

2 cups lemon filling ( Use cook and serve Jell-o brand or make your own from scratch and let cool)

Frosting
In a medium saucepan combine
12 large marshmallows
1 cup white Karo corn syrup.
Place over medium heat and stir until marshmallows are melted.
In a mixer bowl place
3 eggs whites
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat on medium speed until soft peaks and then slowly add the hot marshmallow mixture to the beating eggs in a slow and steady pour. Increase speed to high and beat until mixture holds peaks.
Spread the lemon filling between the layers. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the marshmellow icing. Garnish with coconut if you wish

 

[tlee618]

Wow Kelly, does that ever sound delicious!!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[appnut]

Kelly, that's the exact same Sunbeam my parents supposedly received as a wedding present in 1944. I still have the large bowl, used it for pasta salad this past weekend. thanks for the memories of my mom. The mixer didn't survive when the cleaning lady dropped it but good in the 1970s.

 

[mixfinder]

This too can be yours!

Again my friend, I am never short on Appliances. If you want a mixer, I'll send you one. This is just the Kitchenaid inventory, there's more!

 

[frigilux]

I had, until a few weeks ago, the same toaster! Gave it to a friend.

I'm having company this weekend and am going to make the 1234 cake for dessert. It looks fantastic! I have a weakness for three-layer cakes. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Kelly.

 

[maytagbear]

I am unanimous in saying for myself:

I am SO glad Kelly is back here with us!

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[appnut]

Kelly I've sent you an email.

 

[scott55405]

Kelly, that is one beautiful cake, and some interesting cake pans you have there! There is a discussion thread going on right now at a cooking forum I read and post to about this cake, but no one had posted a recipe. It sounds just heavenly. I'll make it some time for company and take out one of the cool percolators to make coffee to go with it!

If you had been around in the 50s, I'm quite sure the Sunbeam corporation would have been pleased to have that creaming picture on their front cover. The pattern in the top of the mixture is so perfect it looks like you spent half the day trying it til you got it just right! LOL

I never thought of using a scale to be sure my layers are the same size, what a great idea!

That copper KA is really pretty, almost too pretty to use, LOL. I bought a new TV last winter and got a gift card promotion so I bought a new KA food processor. It's wonderful!

 

[mattl]

Love the copper KA, never saw one like that.

Cake looks good, have to copy it and save it for later, shame all these good recipes go away.

 

[qsd-dan]

I am SO glad Kelly is back here with us!

X1000000

 

[jeffg]

Thanks to Kelly I'm back to wishing the Super forum was archived.

 

[mixfinder]

Round and Round

I made a glimpsing appearance in an infomercial for Kitchenaid that ran through Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hence an entire Kitchenaid equipped kitchen. The pans in the picture are Wilton and I have a Kitchenaid set as well. On the Kitchenaid Forum I posted side by side tests of the Kitchenaid and Kenwood Chef, aka Cuisinart, Viking, Farberware, Hamilton Beach, Wolfgang Puck etc. At the same time I compared glass, darkened and natural aluminum pans, convection and radiant heat along with the mixers. My choice for cake pans is Magic Line 9 inch aluminum. I bake everything with convection and prefer the Kitchenaid design as its easier to add ingredients. The Copper mixer came from an eBay auction. The seller, a liquidator, was a grump and scared away potential bidders with cryptic replies and 92% rating. It came directly from a Williams and Sonoma and still has the $899.00 price tag on the base. I was lucky enough to win the bid and shipping for $212.00. The Classic, Ultra and Artisan are the same design as the original K45 run and extremely reliable. The Pro series is truly too powerful for a novice. Often they would get in over their head trying to mix or knead, not unlike going off road in a Hummer. There are multiple complaints on line about the cracking gear box cover on the Pro line. A metal replacement became available a year ago. I bought one of these upgraded mixers and it was even louder, if that's possible. I went back to the plastic cover with the 620 and the noise is much more tolerable. The Pro has a motor made in Sweden and with the top off you can see the set up is plug and play making home repairs very easy. I have been using a Pro since 2006 and with an 11 tine whisk and larger flatter bowl; it is much faster and produces a more even mix than models that came before. Because of the noise of the Pro620, I use it for all things heavy that mix at lower speeds and use either the Sunbeam or 4C for cakes and whipping.

 

[scott55405]

Thanks for that info/report, Kelly! I knew there was something familiar with those Cuisinart mixers-apparently they have their roots in Kenwood!

I have my old standby Hobart-made K45, which I purchased new and which celebrates its 25th birthday this fall. I'll always keep it even if I ever decide to buy a new KA toy, though a person could go crazy with all those colors and finishes! I also have a wonderful chrome Sunbeam #MMB that you and I had discussions about eons ago. I have other vintage Sunbeams as well but I don't actually use those.

 

[scott55405]

Jeff, if you want you can do a file save as on the thread and save it to your computer. You wouldn't get every single post made after, but in a case like this, you'd have the recipe and info to save for future use.

 

[frigilux]

Speaking of those cake pans....what kind are they, Kelly? Are they the insulated dual-layer type or is it just the rolled rims that give them that appearance?

I'll add my voice to the chorus: It's great to have you back, Kelly!

 

[mixfinder]

Dark Edges

The pans in the picture are anondized bakeware made by Wilton. Analon, Kitchenaid and Calphalon all make similar pans. They are single layer but quite heavy. Personally I don't care for darkened edges especially with white cake. The pans that are my everyday drivers are Magic Line aluminum with rolled edges, a clone of the Wilton professional line and a fraction the cost. Regardless the pan I always use parchment paper cut to fit and I don't grease, the pans, especially the side. The batter needs to hang on while its rising. Too much grease lets the sides slide down and the crown will hump. Cook's Illustrated aka America's Test Kitchen prefers a dark crust. In cooking I strive to make the taste and profile of the audience receiving and certainly each person and each household is entitled to enjoy food they way they enjoy.

 

[scott55405]

Besides a lot of old ones, I have a set like the ones on the left. They are nice pans. There is restaurant supply store near me that sells all sorts of wonderful things, including those and parchment circles already cut to fit various size pans.

I never knew about the not greasing the pan. I'll have to do that since with the parchment you won't have issues. I do have a set too however that has that little twirly knife thing in the bottom. ;-)

 

[joeinfl]

The Sunbeam Mixmaster reminds me of the one my Grandmother had. All of our birthday cakes and icing were made with it when we were little. It had a lot of sentimental value to me. When my Grandparents passed, that was one of the things that I told my Sister, Dad and Aunt that I wanted. I have the bowls but they threw away the mixer because it wouldn't start. I know they were not really thinking about it but I was heart broken.

Thanks for the pics and the awesome recipe! I need to try it soon.

 

[mixfinder]

Humbled

Thank you all for the warm and genuine welcome. It does feel very good to be home. I have no memory of not cooking, learning on a yellow wood chair standing next to mom. I cried for the mixer when I was in the hospital at age 3. Mom brought it and I was content the rest of time. I am always ready and pleased to answer any questions about food. I can always tell you how I do it and why. It does feel like coming home. I am pleased for my friends whose relationships, health and successes were shared for me to keep up. Good thoughts to you all,
Kelly

 

[mixfinder]

Humbled

Thank you all for the warm and genuine welcome. It does feel very good to be home. I have no memory of not cooking, learning on a yellow wood chair standing next to mom. I cried for the mixer when I was in the hospital at age 3. Mom brought it and I was content the rest of time. I am always ready and pleased to answer any questions about food. I can always tell you how I do it and why. It does feel like coming home. I am pleased for my friends whose relationships, health and successes were shared for me to keep up. Good thoughts to you all,
Kelly

 

[tlee618]

Kelly, it sure is great to have you back!! Terry

 

[mixguy]

Magic Line Aluminum Pans

I like the Magic Line pans for several reasons:
even heating--resulting in even layers; straight sides--easier to frost evenly; heavier than average thickness--very durable to resist dents, warping. It is difficult to find good quality metal bakeware.

 

[toggleswitch2]

It is wonderful to see you here Kelly!

 

[appnut]

Let everyone eat cake!!

 

[dynaflow]

thx for a new friend

Kelly,
I think we have become fast new friends
Ron

 

[perc-o-prince]

Welcome back, Kelly!!!

I don't have much time to check the site at this time but I was so happy to see you posting again

Big hugs to you, sweetie!! Thank you for your kind ear and inspiration when I was going through my "battle"

Rich