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July 23, 2016

This delightful 1950s Square Dancing Cake is sure to do-si-do its way into your heart


In recent years, multi-coloured, intricately layered cakes have been all the rage (and for good reason), but it might fascinate you to know that such culinary works of skill and art are anything but new.

They may have grown more complex in recent decades, but their history stretches back for many years and those who are not uber talented professional cake arts (myself included!) might find that they have better luck with vintage versions that are less apt to result in one's next Pinterest Fail.

Hard as it is to believe, we're more than 2/3rds of the through the beautiful month of July and that means that the August long weekend is just around the corner. With it, for those in my town, will come the return of our annual Peach Festival, which always include a big square dancing event with participants from far and wide visiting Penticton to take part.

In the spirit of such, I knew the moment that I spotted today's vintage recipe for a two-tone checkered dessert called Square Dance Party Cake that I wanted to share it with all of you (which greatly resembles a classic Battenberg cake).

Though I haven't made it yet myself, I definitely hope to whip up a GF version come the early days of August (interestingly, while putting this post together, I discovered that I'm not the only one there who wanted to give it a spin; Amanda from the blog Amanda's Cooking did just that, complete with photos, back in 2014 and shared her results in this recipe post).

This is one of those marvelous mid-century cakes that looks like it might be complicated, but actually really isn't. A few simple steps are all it takes to achieve the compliment inducing checkered pattern - plus this beautiful vintage dessert is quite budget-friendly, making it amply well suited to weeknight meals and special events/holidays alike.



{Hailing from 1950, this beautiful vintage cake utilizes two different colours of batter, a classic white frosting, and yummy squares of chocolate to create a dish worthy of any square dancing, summertime, or otherwise noteworthy event. Vintage recipe ad via Click America.}


I know, I know, I've probably said it a dozen or more times now over the years, but as folks tend to comment and ask for alternatives if I don’t mention as much, I'm all the more happy to say again that if shortening isn't your cup of tea, then by all means substitute in your favourite cooking fat, such as butter, margarine, vegan margarine, or coconut oil, here instead.

As pretty and pristine looking as the white icing shown here is, I'd be rather tempted to jazz it up a bit. Perhaps opting for a chocolate or fudge frosting, though that would of course alter the taste of the cake. Caramel, coconut, lemon, orange, cherry, strawberry, pineapple, raspberry, blueberry, mocha, mint, almond, walnut, peanut butter, cotton candy, and seven-minute frosting would all be awesome choices here, too.

And to keep the checkered theme going all the more, you could even use two different types and/or colours of icing on this cake, if you wanted - perhaps one on the inside and different version on the outside.

The chocolate squares on the top are a fun touch, but certainly not a requirement. You could swap them out for chocolate curls, fresh or candied fruit, nuts, sugared rose petals or citrus peel, any candy you please (given the Southwestern connections that square dancing has, I can't help but think how cool a choice these classic prickly pear cactus candies would be), marshmallows, sprinkles, pralines, chocolate covered coffee beans, or anything else that you felt would suit this beautiful pink and white cake nicely.

I'm not able attend our to our town’s fun annual square dance event each year, but I can whip up this charming mid-century cake cake anytime my heart desires – as can you – and that alone is worth doing dancing a few happy steps over! :)

Have an absolutely fantastic weekend, my sweet friends!

*PS* In case you missed yesterday's post about it, I wanted to let you all know that I'm currently holding a 25% off storewide Christmas in July sale in my Etsy shop until the end of this month.

50 comments:

  1. I don't think I've ever known of a square dance in this country, much less been to one, but I've always thought it'd be a lot of fun :) and I'll eat cakes in any way shape or form ;) hope the rest of the July goes swimmingly for you - can't believe we're nearly in August either! xx

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    1. Isn't it bonkers? It feels like mere moments ago that we were ringing in the new year and now we're closer again to that point than we are far away from it.

      Square dances are a ton of fun, IMO, very much including attending them "just" as a spectator. If you ever happen to get a chance to see one live, I highly recommend it (plus, it's the perfect excuse to don western wear style vintage/repro threads, which is never a bad thing! :D).

      Big hugs & joyful wishes for these final days of July,
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. You have given some wonderful ideas to customize this cake. I enjoy dancing, but I have never really square danced. I was getting so confused that I gave up! Maybe someday with a small group of people it will be possible to learn. :)

    Sarah
    www.sewcharacteristicallyyou.com/blog

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    1. It can be a bit confusing at first for sure, especially with all the lingo that is tied to the various steps, moves, calls, etc. Learning in a small group setting would probably be a great way to go and I hope you really enjoy it if you ever give such a spin.

      Many hugs & thanks for all of your terrific blog comments this month,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. Yum! What a pretty cake. So neat that your town has a square dance, but I'm sorry you can't attend.

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    1. Hi sweet Anna, thank you very much for your lovely comment. It remains to be seen if we'll be able to make it down for this year's competition (as spectators). Last year, with Tony working in the States all summer, it didn't happen, so I'm rooting all the more it this time around. Fingers crossed! :)

      Big hugs & happy Wednesday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. When I was in school we used to be taught square-dancing in school in gym class. I love this cake and the old artwork. Being a swing dancer I'm always on the lookout for cool graphics.

    I'm tempted to try the cake, but substitute chocolate for the pink! How fun! At any rate, I highly recommend trying square dancing, plus the square dance dresses are too cute!

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    1. Same here!!! It was very basic and taught by each year's gym teachers, but it was a part of our elementary school (which back then was still grades 1 - 7) curriculum all the same and the unit usually wrapped up with us all coming to class in western wear style outfits. Good times, good times. :)

      That would be fab - and very marble cake-y then. I say, go for it. I might just do the same next month for Tony's b-day, as marble cake is one of his fave foods ever.

      Thanks for the recommendations and for all of your wonderful blog comments this month.

      Have an awesome week!
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. Mmmm, that cake looks delicious! :D

    ~Lydia~ <3

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    1. Doesn't it though - and approachable, too. I so love that element of a lot of mid-century cooking.

      Lots of hugs & thanks for your fun comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  6. I love square dancing! (not that I've done any since my dancing class I took in middle school). And I also love cake, and this looks like a cute and delicious one to try!

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    1. Seconding your loves, big time. Cake is so great. Whoever invented it was a culinary genius! :D

      Lots of hugs & happy end of July wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. Beautiful cake and I love vintage cake decorating! :)

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    1. Same here! I don't have an expert cake decorator's skills in the slightest, but I love that I can tackle most vintage cakes and actually have them turn out fairly close to the original image (I say "fairly close" because if I'm eating said cake, it needs to be gluten and egg free and that always leaves room for some interesting end results ;D).

      Have a fabulous week, lovely Laurie!

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  8. Perfect Square cake for a square dance. I think I I like the vintage ad even more than the cake itself-- they look like they're having so much fun!

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    1. Don't they though? The ladies are rocking some pretty terrific outfits there, too. I think I might have to channel their vibe this upcoming holiday long weekend (it's the August civic holiday here in Canada next Monday).

      Thank you very much for your lovely comment. I hope that you're having a splendid week.

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  9. This cake is so cute! I would totally opt for a strawberry lemonade version :) I've never heard of a peach festival, but peaches are one of my favorite fruits so that sounds really fun!

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    1. It is a lot of fun! These days, objectively (and kind of sadly, come to think of it) peaches aren't really at the heart of too many festival events, it's more become a name and something that ties into the peak (most years) of the local peach season. I would imagine that when it began, there were more actual peach related happenings for it. We always try to enjoy plenty of fresh local peaches during the festival, as they're for sale all around the valley at local orchards, road side produce stands, and supermarkets alike. Plus, I like to wear the colour peach and my peach novelty brooches for it, too. When in Rome, or in this case, Penticton, as they say! :D

      Lots of hugs coming your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. What a divine looking cake, they don't make them like that anymore, unless you are following a vintage recipe of course! Thanks for sharing Jessica. Many hugs xxx

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    1. So very, very true. They really don't - nor do they make ads like this any more either. Luckily we can still delight in both thanks to the kind folks who scan these sorts of images and the various places they land on the web.

      My pleasure, sweet Ann. Thank you very much in turn for your lovely comment.

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  11. I love colorful cakes, and this one has such an awesome name! Cotton candy would be a yummy twist :)

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    1. I really think so, too. There's just something about summer (for me, I think it's memories of carnivals enjoyed during my youth) that puts me squarely in the mood for all things cotton candy.

      Lots of hugs & happy Wednesday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. That looks like a really fun, cute cake. It's hard to find recipes like that nowadays. I personally prefer chocolate, berry, and peanut butter frosting, though vanilla probably looks best with the pink and yellow cake.

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    1. Berry frosting would be awesome - and so fittingly summery here. Cherry could be really, really nice as well (and would tie into another fruit that is grown around the Okanagan Valley, where we live).

      Thank you for your lovely comment. I hope that these final days of July are treating you wonderfully, dear gal.

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  13. I think lemon or orange frosting would be delicious!

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    1. Same here! Perhaps even lime or pink grapefruit, too, just depending on how much of a zesty hit one wanted to impart to this fun vintage cake. I wouldn't say no to a slice of any of those varieties right now. I've been craving cake so much since penning this post. :)

      Wishing you a fantastic tail end of July,

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  14. omg yummy, I feel like mine wouldn't look this good
    xo
    www.laurajaneatelier.com

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    1. As long as it tasted as good though, that's what really counts, isn't it? :D

      Big hugs & many thanks for all of your great blog comments this month,
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. I have never tried these two (or more) toned chequered cakes, but this seems simple enough to start with. I love baking, so it went right to my Pinterest board. Thank you for sharing this colourful charmer. Have a lovely day, dear. :)

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    1. My absolute pleasure, sweet Sanne. They're not terribly tricky, IMO - even if one is working with GF batter - and the end results are so splendidly pretty and impressive looking. I hope your take on this fun mid-century dessert turns out great, if you give it a spin.

      Oodles of hugs coming your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  16. Nothing wins over the classical "sponge"
    As it is, the Sponge Cake is the most versatile of them all - in this charming example, we can see how (by adding just a few drops of food color and playing checkers) we can make it extraordinary!
    Thanks for the idea, Jess.

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    1. My pleasure, lovely lady. So true about the importance and versatility of classic sponge and similar style cakes. They've been a culinary mainstay in lots of countries for many decades now and for good reason. They're easy, appealing, and always a welcome dessert time treat.

      Big hugs & cheerful end of July wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. This looks so yummy! I love those colourful cakes but unfortunately I'm not very good in baking. ;-)

    Many hugs,
    Sandra <3

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    1. That's the beauty of cakes like this...they only look complicated. :) I fully understand though that baking and/or cooking is not everyone's strong suit and that what might be dead simple to one person, could be a mammoth undertaking to another. For that reason, I rarely post what I consider to be overly complex or difficult recipes here, as I really want to them to be accessible to as wide a spectrum of my readers as possible.

      Is there anything in particular that you like to cook or bake that I could keep an eye out for vintage versions of to post about here for you, dear gal?

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  18. This is like the early incarnation of those videos of elaborate rainbow cakes that are pieced together in the most awe-inspiring ways. Of course I prefer the retro vibe of this one, and I'm definitely a bigger fan of pale pastel colors than rainbow brights. I worry that something hot pink or neon green would taste like dye. Plus, this actually looks doable for me.

    I've been craving cake lately, and in a rare bout of motivation, I feel like baking cupcakes and decorating them with my stash of sprinkles and whimsies. My husband brought home the mix and frosting yesterday. He's obviously exploiting this rare moment of baking motivation. Still, I'm going for it!

    <3 Liz
    www.withwonderandwhimsy.com

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    1. Yum - and how exciting! You know, there's really something about summer (perhaps because it's when both mine and my husband's birthdays fall?) that puts me in the mood for cake/cupcakes (big time!), too. We'll definitely be whipping up a cake (or other special dessert) for Tony's big day in August and perhaps one or two more "just because" as well. Summer is too short not to celebrate it with an extra cake every now and then. :)

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

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  19. I've never had a multicoloured cake, but I've always thought it looks like it would be so much fun to cut the cake open to such a lovely surprise!
    The Artyologist

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    1. It really is! The versatility factor here is tops as well. Red and green, for example, come Christmas or orange and green, purple, yellow or black for Halloween, are just a couple of ways that this fun cake lends itself really nicely to holiday celebrations as well. It could also be a blast in pink and blue for a baby shower, especially if the couple hadn't revealed the child's gender yet. Really, so many possibilities.

      Sending lots of hugs & happy Wednesday wishes your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. I absolutely love old recipes! This looks very similar to Battenburg cake which we have in the UK. It's a rectangle cake with pink and yellow cake (like a checkerboard effect) 2 of each and apricot jam holding it together. It's a real afternoon tea thing over here! This recipe looks great and I love the alternatives you've given for the top, I think rose petals would look great. I really want some cake now! XxxX

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    1. It definitely does bear a strikingly similarity, as touched on above, to that absolutely scrumptious UK standard (that I think I first experienced many, many eons ago while living in Ireland). I'm a big fan of British cuisine in general and especially enjoy the baked goods and desserts, from Yorkshire pudding to Bakewell tarts to summer pudding, it's all good in my books. :)

      Many hugs & thanks for your lovely comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  21. Food photography has really come a long way! That is what I find so amusing when you share vintage recipes. It would be cool to do a side by side with a modern blog worthy mouthwatering shot of this cake...if we had more time and patience..,hmm! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. That it definitely would be. If you do opt to give making this cake a spin, please feel free to share the end results with me. I'd love to see your version.

      Big hugs & many thanks for all of your fantastic blog comments this week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  22. Such a fun and delicious looking cake! And the peach festival in your town sounds like so much fun! I can't help but think how perfect a peach flavored square dancing cake would be for you this month! <3

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    1. Hi sweet lady, it super would be, I agree - especially if one tinted the frosting peach coloured and perhaps decorated the top with some mint leave shaped candies (the sugar coated gummy type) to make it look all the more like a peach. :)

      Oodles of hugs & happy first week of August wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. It does look a little like a battenburg cake, I made one a couple of months ago for my sister's hen do. It looks like something one would love a piece of after a square dance! I hope the peach festival was fun. What is seven minute frosting?

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    1. Thank you, my sweet friend. We saw a few events, but as it overlapped with Tony's birthday weekend, couldn't focus on it as much as we might have, had such not been the case. Still a lot of fun though and I even wore a peach themed outfit one day (outfit post to follow here in the fairly near future) to celebrate it.

      Great question! Seven-minute frosting is a North American name for that type of fluffy, marshmallow like frosting that is made with whipped egg whites. Its name comes from the fact that, traditionally, it was made by beating it for seven minutes straight to achieve the right (airy) consistency.

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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    2. That frosting sounds delicious if a little tough on the wrists! I am very excited about the peach themed outfit. That sounds fab!

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    3. It is - on both counts. Do you have a product called Marshmallow Fluff/Marshmallow Creme in the UK? If so, it's quite similar and can be used as a frosting, too (though the actual frosting is a bit airier and better suited to spreading on crumbly surfaces like cakes, IMO).

      Thanks! My latest outfit post stars what I wore for Peach Fest this year, including a darling Luxulite peach dangle brooch that I bought just for it last year and have been eagerly waiting to debut ever since. :)

      Big hugs & happy wishes for the new week,
      ♥ Jessica

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    4. I am still catching up on my blog reading after being on holiday so I will get to your Peach Fest outfit soon. I love Luxulite brooches, my sister bought me a Land Girl themed one with peas and carrots on it for my birthday and I love it! I don't think that we do have marshmallow fluff here but I will look out for it!!

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    5. They really are the bee's knees and then some! I bought one of Katy's Land Girl themed brooches, too (not 100% sure if we have the same one though, as I know she's released various similar versions over the years). I adore fruit and veg themed accessories and as vegetable ones are usually even harder to find than fruit versions, I simply had to pounce on it for that reason, too (on top of the Land Girl element, I mean). It's cool that we're either brooch Twinsies or brooch siblings at the very least. :)

      If you can't find Marshmallow Fluff in the UK and want to give 7-Minute frosting a go, it can be made (as a no-cook version) with an electric mixer, so one doesn't have to wear their poor arms out (here's a recipe for such: http://alchemybaking.blogspot.ca/2014/04/easy-no-cook-7-minute-frosting.html)

      Tons of hugs & heartfelt thanks for all of your great blog comments this week,
      ♥ Jessica

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