November 7, 2014

You'll love the unexpected flavour combo in this great vintage Autumn Refrigerator Cake recipe


It was the appealing, and not overly common, combination of bananas, cinnamon, cloves and marshmallows that drew me instantly to this creative, scrumptious vintage Autumn Refrigerator Cake recipe. I adore each of those ingredients on their own, so I knew that I would likely enjoy this hearty cake once I'd hammered out a version that was gluten and egg free, so that I could safely eat it. Though mine isn't quite as tall, it is otherwise a dead ringer for the one depicted in this photo and really, really hits the spot now the weather has turned chilly and we're all in the mood for oodles of fragrant, stick-to-your ribs food, even when it comes to our dessert choices.

That said, I wouldn't define this as an overly heavy or rich cake. It has a great summer meets fall flavour thanks to the combo of bananas and marshmallows partnered with heady, classic spices and is the sort of cake that would be ideal for all manner of get-togethers, holidays (including Thanksgiving), and everyday meals alike this fall. It's also an excellent choice if you need to, or are cooking for someone who does, avoid chocolate and/or nuts, as both are no where to be seen in this vintage recipe.




{Yum, yum, yum!!! This appealing and easy to make vintage cake recipe forgoes frosting in favour of whipped cream and features a fantastic filling that's bursting with bananas and marshmallows. Vintage recipe image via the Frugal Cafe blog.}



Naturally, by all means skip the shortening and use butter, margarine or a vegetarian butter substitute instead. Though shortening has its rightfully culinary merit and place, objectively very few of us use it often (if at all) any more. By the same token, if you aren't a fan of bananas or don't want to use them here, some canned peaches, apricots, cherries, or blueberries work fabulously as well (just make sure they're very well drained before you add them to the gelatine mixture).

One thing that I would note is that the original recipe states that it serves 12 to 16, which I think is a tad optimistic. Even if you slice it very thin, it would be hard to get more than ten or twelve thin servings out of this cake, and I'd say that it is more apt to serve about eight to ten people, assuming you're not dishing up massive portions.

Aside from the tasty, clever flavours at work in this mid-century dessert, I really like how it looks when you present it. Filling the center with the gelatine, fruit and marshmallows makes for a very lovely presentation that lends an air of sophistication to this cake and instantly boasts the "oooohhhs and ahhhhhs" you're apt to receive when you bring it to the table.

Much as fall's colour palette is by far my very favourite of the year, so too is its culinary offerings and I fall into the camp of those folks who can't get enough of pumpkin and other autumn produce, warm soups and strews, roasted and baked dishes, and all manner of gorgeous, fragrant spices like the cinnamon and gloves in today's great vintage cake recipe, so I'm sure this gem of a dessert will appear on my table year after year come the nippy days of fall.

If you're looking for a new dessert or just want to shake things up, give this absolutely lovely Autumn Refrigerator Cake a spin. It is surprisingly, marvelously delicious!

22 comments:

  1. looks very tasty!
    i had to look up "shortening" but google said "fat for baking" - does´t help :-/ from what is it made? plants, animals??
    hug you!
    xxxxxx

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    1. Oh, Google Translate, you!!! :D That really isn't a speck of help at all. Traditionally shortening was made from lard, but in the 20th century that word (shortening) grew to also encompass solid cooking fats made from hydrogenated vegetable, soy and/or palm oil and today that is what most shortenings (such a Crisco) that one finds in the supermarket will be made from. Due to the fact that most brands/types of shortening contain trans fats, they've declined in popularity amongst the average home cook a great deal in recent years.

      Hope this helps, dear Beate!

      Big hugs right back at you!
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. thanx jess! so now i know that i will use butter - trans fats are banned from the railroad keepers kitchen :-)
      xxx <3

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  2. Mmm... nice flavors. The dish reminds me of my favorite dessert, Bananas Foster.

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    1. Bananas Fosters is such a fabulous (vintage!) dessert. Have you ever had the French Toast version? AMAZING!!! :)

      Many thanks for your comment - have a fabulous Friday!
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. this loos like a very nice desert I am very impressed by your creativity and perseverance in adopting recipes to suit your needs

    retro rover

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  4. Oh, I know I love banana with nutmeg, allspice, and dark spiced rum (my friend and I made Bananas Foster the other month) so I imagine it would go well with all of these spices, too!

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  5. Great (and tasty!) post, Jess.

    My folks would not mind having that on the table... made with shortening. :)
    As a matter of fact, we are old-school when t comes to kitchen. And when I say: I live a vintage life, I truly do. You see: my mom cooks like her mom did; and she did like all of our ancestors. I make the sweets and pastries.. and I do so the way ladies of this house taught me: good old German and Hungarian cuisine - all prepared with lard.
    (I see some eyebrows being risen here and there)
    We live in the countryside; we grow our own animals.. we work hard - as my dad likes to say "We deserve our hardy meal" :)

    Oh.. now I need a slice of this.. pass it over. :)

    Hug
    Marija

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  6. oh this looks/sounds so good! i will have to try it sometime soon (maybe even this weekend for the church thanksgiving dinner maybe?)
    the banana in the autumn cake does sound interesting, but i know that banana can be a great natural sweetener, as we use it to liven up smoothies and the like. i also makes baked goods nice and moist, so i'm sold on the whole banana thing.
    thanks for sharing, Jessica! i just love that vintage gals smiling face.

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  7. I'm always on the hunt for something banana. Bananas are always a surplus during the summer because they ripen so fast. So I've got a lovely stash in the freezer ready to be baked into something. This looks like an over the top Banana Cake and with a few birthdays coming up wouldn't it be fun to walk into a room with this cake.

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  8. yum this looks great! love that it's a vintage recipe

    styleandchocolates

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    1. Thank you very much, my dear. It's seriously delicious and suits the cooler days of November so very well.

      Just about all the recipes I post here are either vintage so if you're a fan, definitely check back often or follow my blog to see all the fun, yummy old school eats I chat about here.

      ♥ Jessica

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  9. Sounds and looks interesting and very tasty!

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  10. Sounds yummy! The pic took me back to days spent with my grandma going thru her magazines to at recipes. Love

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  11. This is just added to my small collection of must try vintage recipes. One can never go wrong with marshmallows. And now we really need some flavoury spices. The recipe itself is so cute it could be framed as kitchen art. Wishing you a lovely day. :)

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    1. I couldn't agree more across the board, dear Sanne. And you know, printing and framing a series of lovely vintage recipe ads like this would make for an awesome, fairly inexpensive way to decorate a kitchen and/or dining room. I may just have to do that one day if I live in a house with the wall space for it.

      Big hugs & many thanks for your great comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. Banana is one of my favourite dessert ingredients - but throw marshmallows into that and... wow, amazing. If this was anywhere near me I think even 10 portions might be optimistic ;)

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    1. :D I hear you there, dear gal! It's a shame we don't live nearby. I'd happily whip up two cakes - one for each of us - and we could enjoy them while chatting up a storm about vintage.

      ♥ Jessica

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  13. Sounds delicious!
    http://inkandlacedesigns.blogspot.com.au/

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  14. I am actually looking for a desert receipt for Thursday as we have been invited to a Thanksgiving dinner and I do not want to show up empty handed. However as yummy as this sounds, I'd first have to try it at home and then when I have mastered the recipe, share it with the world ;)

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    1. How lovely that you've been invited to a Thanksgiving dinner. I've never celebrated the American one with folks from that country, but do sometimes make a smaller version of the festive feast for us again as a way of tiding us over on the turkey craving front between Canadian Thanksgiving in October and Christmas in December.

      I hope this recipe works out smashingly for you and that it's a big hit at the dinner party you're attending.

      Happy Thanksgiving wishes!
      ♥ Jessica

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