Counteract winter's dreariness with this fabulous 1950s Rainbow Cake recipe

Before we delve into the heart of today's post, I want to thank you all for your terrific recent blog comments so far this year. Things haven't been the easiest for me on the health front lately and I've not been able to stay on top of all the comments I've received here, nor my blog feeds, as a result. I'm feeling a whisper better now though and hope to get back to my usual levels of activities on those lovely fronts from this new week onward. 


Yesterday marked the halfway point until my next birthday. That means there’s six long months still to go until the brilliant warmth and sparkling sunlight of mid-July fill our days again. You might as well tell me that it's a century away, for it feels as though such is the case, while we're stuck here in the midst of a bitingly cold January. However, as I've said before, and I'll say again here right now, chilly and dark though it may be, I don't hate winter at all.

There are perks and charms - the serenity of fresh fallen snow, say, or the fact that one actually wants the oven to be on for hours so as to help warm the house further - to this first season of the year, but acknowledging, embracing and even celebrating those good points doesn't mean that we can't yearn for summer (or to take a trip south of the equator and enjoy the hottest months of the year right now with our friends on the other side of the world).

Longing, like worrying, may pass the time, but it doesn't actually achieve anything. Luckily though, we can perk up our wardrobes and menus with lively colours and dishes that celebrate the spirit of spring and summer now, if so desired.

Undoubtedly one of the most iconic signs of spring's return (which won't be for at least one to three or even four months still, depending on whereabouts on the planet you live) is a gloriously lovely rainbow. Nature's reward for surviving a downpour or full on storm and a symbol as old as time itself of hope, renewal and (quite literally) brighter tomorrows.

On a rather snowy, dreary day recently I came across the following seriously delightful vintage recipe recently on one of my favourite Flickr streams for vintage images, File Photo, and knew that there was no way I could hold off until spring or summer to share it. The punchy, sweet, beautiful pastels at work in it perked my spirits up quicker than downing ten shots of espresso, while also brimming with mid-century vintage charm that was just too good not to post on the double!





{Crisco's Rainbow Cake recipe hails 1950 and combines layers or white, yellow and spice cake all topped with pretty buttercup yellow hued frosting and, optionally, pastel hued mint wafers. If you can't track any down, why not sure pastel marshmallows, melting chocolate pieces, or jordan almonds/mlabas/confetti instead? Vintage recipe image source.}


As I almost alway say when a recipe calls for shortening, an ingredient which doesn't see a great day of play in most people's kitchens these twenty-first century days, if you're not a fan, by all means swap in butter, margarine, or your favourite vegan margarine style product instead in cake and/or frosting alike. Likewise, if you're not comfortable using raw egg yolks in the frosting, ditch them and simply use your favourite egg-free or seven-minute frosting here instead (I can’t help but think that a sweetened cream cheese frosting would be scrumptious, especially with the spice layer at the bottom).

The flavour combination at work in the three layers here is nice, and in a way it suits fall and winter well, but I'd be tempted to swap in chocolate cake for the spice layer on the bottom, or to replace the lemon extract with orange or almond, if I was going to leave the spice tier in place.

Of course, you can easily make this lovely 1950s cake with just one or two layers, if so desired, and I can't help but think how marvelous it would be as a cherry chip or strawberry cake, too. In which case I'd like tint the frosting pink, not yellow, and perhaps adorn it with chocolate buttons or walnut halves (and presto, just like that, you've got a great Valentine's Day dessert on your hands!).

Deep into the very heart of winter though we may be, unable to sway Mother Nature into giving us weather warm enough to tan in just yet, we can inject a similar sense of upbeat warmth and happiness through fun, kitschy pastel desserts like this. They serve as important reminders that spring will eventually show up again, rain puddles in tow, and with it a whole season that looks a rather good deal like this fabulous 1950s Rainbow Cake itself.

Thank goodness for that!!! :)

Serve up a slice of scrumptious 1950s Spice-Berry Cake

"Welcome as the first spring crocus, this cake with the delicate air, is different, delectable, designed for spring menus". So begins the write up for this wonderfully easy, equally tasty 1950s classic spice-berry layer cake, and what an apt description is it. Though we're technically a couple of week's shy of spring's official return, milder weather is started to crop up again for some and will continue to do so for those in the Northern Hemisphere from here on out.

As the icy shackles of winter fall away, one's thoughts come dessert time turn to lighter fair. It may be a touch too soon to dust off the ice cream maker, live on feather light meringues, or opt for chilled fruit salad over everything else, but by the same token, we're beginning to feel like we've had our fill of rich, heavy custards, thick slices of pies, and dense pastries.

Something in between the two - fragrant and satisfying, but not quite a meal unto itself - is called for, and having heard that plea, this terrific cake comes a calling.

{Hailing from the fine folks at A&P (a US chain of supermarkets), this lovely, straightforward, endlessly inviting Spice-Berry Layer Cake is just what our menus need these days, as we leap from the depth of winter into the pleasing warmth of spring's embrace - and menu - once again. Image source.}

This is the kind of cake that does wonders both for causal weeknight desserts and on more formal occasions, such as Easter, May 1st, Mother's Day, wedding or baby showers, or if you're hosting a springtime dinner party - not mention it's natural use as a birthday sweet treat, too.

With its flavourful mixtures of spices, raisins (which you could easily leave out, if you're not a fan), and jam, this is the kind of cake that one feels a touch of the old-fashioned in, so to speak, when you bite into. Most spice cakes (and muffins and cookies) have always held that quality for me. They're homey, inviting, timeless and just as pleasing to the palette as one could ever hope for.

Spring, full on spring, that is, will be here soon enough. For now though, let's give this often overlooked period between winter and spring (which, admittedly, is rarely as gorgeous, romantic or appealing as the sublime days between autumn and fall) a hearty hello care of our kitchens and this great 1950s dessert, as well as others like it that aren't inseparably tied to the either the season we're leaving behind nor the one we're cheerfully hopping into this month.