1950s Springtime Fancy Cake is the perfect April dessert

The days are getting longer, the air is alive with a thousand and one fresh, earthy scents, and the skies are, well, if not blue quite yet, than at least less likely to be chocked full of snowflakes.

For many north of the equator, spring has sprung and for those who are still wrestling with the final days of wintry weather, it soon will. Though we may have a ways to go before we're in the mood to sport an air conditioner as a hat or eschew any type of footwear that isn't a sandal, the warmth of spring is slowly emerging and before long, we're be into the thick of the hottest months of the year.

Before we hit that point though, let's take full advantage of our ovens and put them to good use in whipping up this super simple, budget-friend Springtime Fancy Cake recipe from 1953.

As with just about all vintage recipes that call for it, if shortening isn't your cup of tea, then by all means swap in your favourite butter, margarine or vegan cooking fat substitute instead.



{Sweet, fun and super easy to make, this delightful mid-century cake calls mainly for ingredients that most of us have to hand already and telegraphs a sense of spring as marvelously as the first blooms of the season. 1950s cake recipe ad image source.}


At its heart, this is a very basic white layer cake, but with the addition of sprightly mint green frosting and some really pretty daisies made from slices of white marshmallows and yellow gumdrops, it becomes a splendidly festive dessert offering that would easily see you through a myriad of spring and summer events, as well as lovely everyday meals alike.

For those, like myself, who are gluten-free, a cake like this is a total cinch still, too. Just put your favourite white or golden cake recipe to work or use a GF boxed mix for either.

You could change the frosting colour and/or candies used here as well, but I personally like it exactly as it stands now. This cake radiates with the spirit of spring, is pretty as a picture, and could easily be turned into cupcakes (with one candy topped flower on each cupcake), if so desired.

I’m elated that that spring is here again and love that vintage recipes like this help to capture to the elegance and joy of this season alike.

Today’s charming 1950s layer cake is bound to be a hit all throughout April and May, then clear through to June and summertime itself, where its adorable candy daisies will be every bit as at home then as they are right now while spring finds its sea legs once again.

Joyful Easter wishes!

The morning air is crisp and light, the first tendrils of sunshine break over the tall hills that surround our town and home alike. A beautiful sense of serenity and energy alike permeates these early hours and one cannot wake up with a smile on their face in their heart alike.

It is Easter and there is so much loveliness to this special day. No matter your personal beliefs, this is the second Sunday of spring and that alone is worth celebrating, slipping on a vintage flower adored hat for, and treating yourself to a chocolate bunny (or five!).

{Vintage Easter card image source}

On this most elegantly lovely of morns, know, my dear friends, that I am thinking of you and sending joyful wishes for a fun filled, fantastic celebration your way!

Happiest Easter, start of spring, and the return of sunshine!

10 Easter perfect vintage dessert recipes

Though the days of collecting candy eggs in a brightly coloured straw basket might be behind many of us, that doesn't mean that we can't still indulge in the sweet, sweet side of Easter time and the return of spring alike.

There are certain foods that suit this gentle season especially well, many of which have been beloved staples for decades, if not centuries, and that speak to the shift away from winter and straight into spring that those of us north of the equator are (or will soon be, depending on whereabouts you live) experiencing.

For me personally, on the sweet front, some of the key tastes that I associate with Easter include - besides the endless classic that is chocolate - strawberry, blueberry, carrot, banana, lemon, almond, pistachio, and vanilla. I have childhood start of spring/Easter/May 1st/Victoria Day memories associated with each, so its no surprise that those particular tastes would jump out at me come the return of the Easter Bunny.

In general, with Easter and springtime fare, we often move away from some of the heavier, richer desserts and sweet treats of fall and winter and more towards things that are light, not only in terms of possibly being airy (chocolate soufflé, anyone?), but also in regards to their very flavours themselves. Heady notes of fragrant spices, mountains of dried fruit, harvest season apples and pears, thick sauces, and steamed puddings give way to everything from tulle cookies to mousses to the very first in-season fruit salads.

Though the weather may not be 100% ideal quite yet, this is a beautiful time of the year in so many ways, not the least of which happens to be what we can bring to our tables. It is my sincere hope that the following selection of ten springtime perfect vintage recipes will help to make March (as well as April, May and early June, too!) all the more fun, festive, and, quite literally, sweet for you, whether you observe Easter or not.



1. Aside from the fact that some of the bunnies here look a little sinister, this is one seriously adorable mid-century Easter cake that has the added bonus of being within the dessert decorating skill range of most of us possess (because, let's face it, pro looking cake decorating is a genuine talent that not everyone is blessed with).



2. Soooo many yums!!! I adore a creamy, sweet meets tart citrus dessert like this ultra simple to make no-bake Lemon Pudding Cheesecake from the 1950s - that would be a fabulously refreshing way to cap off any spring or summer meal.



3. Use any jam or jelly your heart desires in this lusciously silky mid-century Chiffon Pie, that's can easily be jazzed up further by the addition of some festive shaped candies or piped rosettes of whipped cream on top.



4. Cute as a button and super easy to both whip up and decorate, this colourful 1940s "Confetti Cake" is both wonderfully pretty and a great option for not only Easter, but also Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, anniversaries, and all kinds of important events.



5. Where would any Easter weekend be without this perpetual favourite? Instead of the store bought variety, why not try your hand at preparing a batch of hot cross buns at home this year. It's surprisingly simple and scents the whole house with the most enchanting - not to mention inviting - of aromas.



6. Speedy, fun and a great way to use up any leftoever wintertime peppermint candies that you might have to hand, this highly tasty looking mid-century Chocolate Topping Pie is served cold, thus making an ideal choice for late spring and straight on into the summer, too.



7. Springtime and pastels are a natural pairing, as is spring and strawberries, so why not toss together this absolutely delicious looking 1950s pink frosting topped strawberry chiffon cake - an airy mid-century classic - and nail two seasonal favourites at the same time?



8. Should you happen to be looking for an especially elegant dessert choice come Easter time, may I suggest this sophisticated 8-layer Chocolate Torte, which you could easily top, if so desired, with candy, fresh fruit, nuts, sprinkles (jimmies), or Jordan Almonds for especially festive touch.



9 & 10. Serve up a slice of chocolate pecan pie or treat your loved ones to a few Easter Egg Peanut Clusters. Both look and sound fantastic, not to mention festive as a spring garden full of fluffy white bunny rabbits.


And for even more vintage Easter dessert goodness, be sure to check out these past Chronically Vintage recipe posts featuring just that!


-Apricot Baskets


-Easter Egg Cake


-Easter Glory Cake


-Easter Sunday Pie


{To learn more about a specific image, and in many cases to view a larger version, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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Okay, I am officially hungry after gathering those all up! In particular, I'm craving pecan pie and might just have to give this delightful chocolate version a spin (come the warmer weather, you just know it would rock with a scoop of vanilla, berry, coffee, banana, orange, or cherry ice cream, too!).

Which of these ten lovely, Easter perfect treats are calling to you the most as we get ready to embrace spring's return with open arms and eager dessert plates alike?

20 things I (really!) want to do this spring and summer!

The birds are chirping up their orchestral tunes, the daffodils are out in full force, and I have officially worn open toed shoes for the first time this year! We're a month into spring already and suddenly, exquisitely, majestically, and so very beautifully, there is an almost hyper-abundance of things to do and see and savour again for the first time in many, many months.

If our plans aren't already set in motion beforehand, as the weekend draws nears, Tony or I will usually ask the other person what we might want to do on Saturday and Sunday. The answers can range from yard saling to fishing, thifting to the farmer's market, just depending on which one of is doing the replying. Fortunately we're both great at splitting our free time amongst each other's passions, while also sharing in many of the same ones (say for example, attending auctions or sitting on the beach in our camping chairs and watching the onion skin hued sun be swallowed up for the evening by the sagebrush covered Okanagan hillside) and that ensures that our weekend are usually a blast.

This time around when Tony posed the question to me on Friday, my mind didn't just stop at the coming two days, instead it shot off into a rapid fire Hollywood movie worthy montage of many of the fabulous things that I want to do, not just right here and now, but throughout the coming weeks and months that will fill the sublimely warm seasons of spring and summer.

This flip book of activities that these two can house is as good as endless, especially if you happen to live near water or other highly inviting landscape features. It can have a thousand pages, or just a few that you revisit time and time again, taking to heart like the lyrics of your favourite summer songs. The following are twenty that are topping my list this year and that I sincerely hope are able to come to fruition!

20 awesome things I really

want to do this spring and summer 

1. Test drive all of the great vintage, repro and vintage appropriate warm weather clothing I picked up over the course of the fall and winter and feature oodles of it here in future outfit posts.

2. Watch the stars shine like a hundred billion sparkling fireflies from atop Apex Mountain on a hypnotically warm night.

3. Get so lost in the enchantingly loveliness of the season that I forget not only what time it is, but what day of the week it is, too!

4. Barbeque a lot. I mean risk wearing out the grill levels of barbequing.

5. Watch the twinkling, gorgeous Canada Day fireworks that are shot off over Okanagan Lake down at the beach.

6. Try to spend at least a few minutes, but ideally an hour or more, outside every single day.

7. Think of my Halloween costume well in advance October and then start making and/or buying the necessary elements.

8. Go fishing with my honey. He fishes, I lounge on the dock and converse with him, and delight in each and ever dragonfly that lands for the quickest of pulses, on my bare, suntanned skin.

9. Get said suntan without burning to a crisp first. Easier said than done when you scorch faster than a piece of toast, even after being slathered with industrial grade SPF!

10. Fly a kite! I was probably 12 or 13 the last time I did so.

11. Have a bonfire, complete with marshmallows (and thus naturally, s'mores) at the beach (own town allows you do so in some areas).

12. Visit the traveling carnival (midway/fair) when it's in town (it's almost a running joke how often, despite madly wanting to do so, I end up missing it, usually due to my health).

13. Go on at least one road trip, even if it's just a weekend long getaway. My immense sense of wanderlust is usually strongest during these sublimely lovely months of the year, thanks in no small part, I'm sure to the fact it was when my parent took us on holidays around the province when I was a youngster.

14. Picnic like it's going out of style!

15. Buy some coloured chalk and let my inner five year sidewalk artist run free.

16. Come the early days of August, watch the Peach Festival Parade on Main Street (I haven't been in over half my lifetime!).

17. Put the frozen yogurt maker we bought at the end of last summer though its paces!

18. Take a houseboat cruise ride on Okanagan Lake for the first time (how I've gone 30 years without doing so before is beyond me!).

19. Attend our town's toe-tappingly fun annual square dance festival.

20. Camp!!! (After all, it is an in-tents experience! :D)

{To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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I know that there's a very real chance I won't get to everything on my list, modest sized though it may be, this spring and summer, but even just having these desires down on virtual paper makes the possibility of them turning into something tangible seem all the more likely.

Chances are, for every one that does happen, ten marvelous unplanned or very last minute activities, invitations, feasts, and trips (even if that word is simply used to describe a five minute drive somewhere) will occur and come the last days of summer, when summer gets ready to hand the torch over to autumn, I'll look back on these months and smile ear-to-ear.

Spring and summer never disappoint (see 2012's post 25 reasons to love summer for some of my personal favourite reasons why that rings true for me). Even when the going gets tough in my daily life, something about sunlight until nearly 10 pm, the ability to walk barefoot in warm-as-oatmeal sand, the wearing of sundresses and strappy sandals, the consuming of light, fresh fair for nearly every meal, and the treasure trove of memories that this time of the year houses all ensure that it's worth jumping out of bed in a happy-go-lucky mood, no matter what you might have planned - or not – for the day.

So tell me, my dears, what's calling your name this spring and summer? Will you be mapping your every move, taking it nice and easy, or - as I tend to do - balancing the two to create a generous stretch of months so lovely they make every last icicle, snow bank, and extra woolen layer of winter worth it a thousand times over.

Here's to the prospect of all that this half of the year holds in store for each of us - may it be a spring and summer to delight in and cherish the memory of forever!

Flickr Favourites: March 22, 2015

{1945 Louis Philippe ad ~ Totally Mystified}


{Easter holiday eggs ~ Alvaro Dorsey}


{1944 jewelry ~ File Photo Digital Archive}


{Broadway Fashions 1947 ~ Classic Film}


{Cover of Judge magazine May 17, 1924 ~ Linda}


{Funny Easter Bunny ~ indria sari}


{Red Star Line postcard ~ Totally Mystified}


{Tableau in Green and Red ~ Tom Levold}


{1952 Avondale Fabrics ad ~ Totally Mystified}


{Cover of Woman And Home, August 1951 ~ Totally Mystified}  

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on its title to be taken to its respective Flickr page.} 

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The beginning of spring, awash as it generally is in a sea of gentle greens, delicate browns, mild pastels, crisp whites, and cheerful blues (as in the sky and representative of rain), isn't exactly a time of the year that we generally associate with the colour red, and yet there are plenty of things popping back to life these days that feature this very hue.

Flowers - spanning the garden spectrum from carnations to roses to pansies - are but one, strawberries and raspberries a little later on, are two more. You'll also find red on rubber boots used to splash in puddles, traditional Ukrainian pysanky Easter eggs, blossoms on various trees, and red skinned spuds, to name but a few a more sources of springtime red.

A colour of vibrancy, passion, vitality, and immense beauty, red suits spring's mighty return well, for it helps to convey the sense of power from which the world wakes up from its icy slumber and is once again cloaked in a rainbow shades, weather conditions and possible vintage wardrobe choices. I often personally associate red with change as well, which is certainly something that's underway as we gleefully wave buh-bye to Old Man Winter and welcome Mother Nature, in her youthful maiden form, back into our lives again.

So don't pack all the red away with your Christmas or Valentine's Day decorations or save it for the sweltering dog days of summer. Instead slip into a ruby sundress, sport a garnet hued Easter bonnet, let your feet frolic around in a pair of cranberry coloured peep-toe sandals (and paint your toe nails cherry to match), or bring a massive bouquet of your favourite warm weather red blooms into the house.

You'll feel all the more energized, happy, and ready to embrace spring's rocky starts and stops, thunder storms, and ultimately beautiful return because of it!

Vintage pastels aplenty? Yes, pretty please!

{In the mood for a marvelous new vintage springtime chapeau? Look no further than this charmingly elegant 1950s Lord & Taylor Fifth Avenue ladies cream straw hat with pink velvet ribbon, coordinating pink flowers, and clear rhinestones. It's jaunty, lightweight, and extremely well suited to the warmer half of the year. $34.00 Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}




{Wave goodbye to snowflakes and hello to sun-kissed blooms when you slip on this pair of delightfully lovely 1950s/1960s light blue and green enamel coated metal flower clip-on earrings. $15.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}




{Sweet-as-candy light pink thermoset plastic combines with shiny silver tone metal in this 1950s demi-parure to create a fabulous mid-century jewelry set that is every bit as chic as it is lovely - not to mention very springtime appropriate. $32.00 (for the set) from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}




{I swooned long and hard the moment I first laid eyes on this wonderfully pretty, very vintage appropriate Heart Cardi in Haze Blue created by the brand Louie et Lucie. Not only is it a timelessly classic layering piece in a gorgeous colour, but it features a sweet little heart motif that feels so fresh and springtime perfect all at once. Available in modern ladies sizes Small and Medium only at the time of writing. $119.01 (New Zealand dollars) from Vintage Heaven.}




{And speaking of hearts, why not wear yours on your sleeve, your label, your purse, your hat, your scarf - anywhere you please - when you pin this immensely pretty, and very romantic, vintage light blue guilloche enamel heart brooch to your outfit. $20.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}




{Oh peach, how I love you (and so, coincidentally, does my husband). Though I usually need to stick with shades that have pink, rather then yellow, undertones, this is a classic colour that I'm crazy about and which I eagerly look forward to slipping into again bright and early spring (and I continue to sport it clear on through to at least September). This mid-century inspire short sleeve peach Martha blouse is just the thing if you're looking to add more of this great fruit inspired hue to your wardrobe this year. Available in modern UK ladies sizes 8 to 18 (some sizes sold out at the time of writing). £40.00 from Heyday.}




{I can clearly remember the moment I found this enchantingly pretty 1950s mint green Swiss dot and white lace trimmed skirt late one afternoon while shopping in Vancouver last year. It was too small for me and in years past, it would have simply remained where it hung, but thanks to the fact that I have an Etsy store now, it was able to come home with me and, much more recently, get listed in my said shop. It's a delightful, very classic piece that could be styled up or down, taken in a vintage direction or sported with modern outfits, too. Plus, every time I see it, it puts me in the mood for mint candy, which is never a bad thing! :) Fits up to a 24" waist/free hips. $34.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}




{Lilacs, undoubtedly one of spring's most iconic and magnificently scented flowers amongst those smells, I've long found, that people absolutely love or can't stand. Interestingly, it has usually been chaps, in my experience, who weren't keen on it (Tony amongst them, though he says their odour gives him a headache, so it makes sense that he wouldn't love them then). I however fall into the camp of adoring lilacs and could bath in nothing but their scent all spring long. Thankfully thanks to this gorgeous lilac roll on scented oil you and I can do just that, if so desired. $8.00 for 10 ml from Etiquettes.}




{You would be hard pressed to find a more beautiful beaded mid-century vintage purse to carry for spring than this breathtaking white and pastel stunner featuring a gorgeous floral design in shades of soft pink, green, blue, purple and yellow. $59.99 from Savato Collection.}




{Hurrah!! At long last (or very nearly so) thick winter glove and mitten season is over and that means we can go back to sporting gloves simply for the fabulous fashion statement that they make, not expressly for keeping frostbite at bay. If, like me, you go gaga for mint green, then this elegant ruched 1940s/1950s pair, which suits spring and summer excellently, is just what your wardrobe needs. Best suited for those who wear a size 6.5 vintage glove. $18.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}




{It's never too early in the warm weather season to start thinking about your next vintage bathing suit, especially when it's a show-stoppingly stunner like this rare Tina Leser pink and white 1950s one-piece featuring dimensional pussy willow chenille embellishments. Fits up to a 32 - 34 bust/26" waist. $259.00 from The Best Vintage Clothing.}




{Give your brown, black, grey, and navy blue shoes a much needed rest this spring and slip into a pair of these alluringly stylish cream coloured Retro Mary Jane Heels instead. They'll go with just as many outfits, but suit spring's soft, elegant palette even better than dark hues in most settings (plus, they would make for gorgeous shoes for a bride on her wedding day). Available in modern ladies sizes 7 through 9 (at the time of writing). $54.95 from Blue Velvet Vintage.}

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Can you say the title of today's edition of Vintage Fashionista three times fast with tripping up? Jokes (and tongue twisters) aside, March really is a month that suits pastels incredibly well (ditto for April). These fledgling days of spring - or near spring, as is currently the case - are mellow and sweet, assuming winter's wrath is finally hightailing it out of your neck of the woods.

Winter's palette, dark, alluring, vampish even at times, was fabulous December, but it feels heavy now - like trying to eat a rich five course feast on a sweltering July day, when a light salad and lemon ice are all that want to put in your mouth. Pastels are the sweet confections and frozen treats of the colour world. Though they can be a touch twee (not that that's a bad thing), they also have the ability to be sophisticated and very chic, say in vintage skirt suit or 1940s tilt hat form.

I adore pastels - even if a few of them, such as orangey-peach and lilac - are not amongst my most flattering colours and thus must be avoided in large doses and worn near my face - and intentionally sport them primarily during the spring and summer months (though I have warmed up to them a bit for winter, as I chatted about in this post last year, they'll never feel like autumn to me, so I rarely wear them then).

While one certainly can, you don't have to sport head-to-toe pastels in the slightest. A small hit of baby blue, cotton candy pink, or newborn chick yellow against darker neutrals or complimentary shades of the same colour can look immensely beautiful and perhaps, some might go so far as to say, become a grownup up take on pastels. I wouldn't agree with that entirely, as again, a pastel suit, cocktail dress, evening gown, or pair of gloves, for example, can all be wildly sophisticated and appropriate for fashionable folks of all ages.

We often think of just a few shades when pastels spring to mind, but really they're a fairly vast category that can, and does, encompass everything from the hues already mentioned in the paragraphs above to  light grey, pale aqua, soft plum, sweet apricot, the gentlest shades of brown, cream and ivory, nude and buff, whisper faint metallics, lavender, and toned down citrus shades, amongst others.

Though I will sometimes go full on pastel, I usually like to use these soft, but very sartorially powerful hues, as accent notes in my wardrobe, such in the form of a pair of earrings, hair flower, snood, shoes, handbag, or (in a somewhat larger dose) a skirt or cardigan. They're fun and markedly cheerful, and signal to all who see you that you've embraced spring's return with open - and very stylish - arms.

Whether you feel the siren's call of periwinkle, soft blush, sage green, or starlight yellow, why not make like our well dressed Vintage Fashionista and deck yourself out in some sugary sweet, absolutely beautiful pastels this spring?

Flickr Favourites: Easter 2014 edition

{Girl with Easter Basket and Bunny ~ ChrisWarren1956}  


{Easter Delight ~ Patsy L Smiles}



{Celluloid tiny rabbit 13 ~ grindstonegirl}      
{Buster Brown Easter ad - 1959 ~ PorangiKui}  


{Easter 1940s ~ hbk1955}  


{Mini Easter Basket Favors ~ such pretty things}


{Gail Patrick Easter, 1938~ carbonated}

{Whitman's Sampler Easter ad - 1948 ~ PorangiKui}

{Lilacs ~ Cindy {K}}  


{Betty Bunny ~ ozfan22}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on its title to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


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Twelfth century French occitan troubadour Bertran de Born once said of this glorious day, "Well pleaseth me the sweet time of Easter, that maketh the leaf and the flower come out", a sentiment which all those who live in Northern Hemisphere can certainly relate to. By now, with May rounding the bend in just ten days, most of us have shaken free from winter's icy shackles - and if not, then we at least know, we're very close to that point arriving.

Here, the snow shovels have been tucked away again, the winter boots cleaned, stuffed with crumpled up paper, and stored out of site until next fall, and slowly Mother Nature is beginning to slip out of her ski gear and into her resort wear. There is life, fresh and sparkling, dangling in every drop of dew and on each soft-as-a-cat's-paw-pad flower petal.

We've had spring, if only on paper, for a month now and still two more wait before us, promising everything from snow cones to the first dip of a foot in local waters every bit as chilly as a frozen dessert. Rain is plentiful, but so is hope and beauty. Pond sized puddles catch reflections of rainbows, the farmer's market will soon overflow with carrots, berries, early greens, tender stalks of asparagus, goat's cheese, and new season potatoes. The mood that fills us all, old and young alike, is one of cheerfulness bordering on glee.

We made it through another lengthy Canadian winter, stronger and wiser, I'm sure, for having done so. Now it's time to celebrate - to sing, and dance (if only in spirit) and give thanks for the bounty, blessings, and unrivaled gentle soul of spring. It is a time for fresh starts, age old favourites, sweet treats, walks in the tender sunshine and Sundays, like today, spend in the cherished company of those you care about.

With all my heart, I wish you each a glorious, peaceful and endlessly lovely Easter and rest of the spring. May it be every bit as sweet as a chocolate egg the whole season long!