Washington Cake Recipes

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly grease a 9-inch Bundt® pan with shortening, then dust with flour. Shake off any excess flour from the pan.
• In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until thoroughly combined. Gently mix in the cherry pie filling, chocolate chips and nuts, and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs, about 1 hour. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then invert pan and remove cake. Allow cake to finish cooling on a rack; sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.

WASHINGTON CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan, 9-inch springform pan, 9-inch (9-cup) tube or Bundt pan, or four 5- by 3-inch (2-cup) loaf pans, line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, and grease again.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium, gradually add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
• Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Total time for beating in the eggs is about 4 minutes.
• Add the cream, brandy, and vanilla.
• In 3 additions, fold in the flour mixture.
• Stir in the raisins and currants.
• Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1¼ hours for a large loaf pan or springform pan; 1 hour and 5 minutes for a tube pan; or 40 minutes for the small loaf pans.
• Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cake to a wire rack and let cool completely, at least 1½ hours. Wrap tightly in plastic, then foil. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Use a serrated knife to cut the cake into slices.

MARTHA WASHINGTON'S GREAT CAKE

Steps:

• Soak the raisins and currants overnight in water in a small bowl. Combine the orange peel, lemon peel, citron and cherries in a medium-size bowl; sprinkle with brandy and marinate overnight.
• Beat the butter, three-quarters of a cup of the sugar, egg yolks and lemon juice at high speed in electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about five minutes.
• Sift the flour, mace and nutmeg on wax paper. Stir into the batter alternately with the Sherry, blending well.
• Drain the raisins and currants. Add them to the batter with the candied fruits and brandy, mixing well.
• Beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Beat in the remaining one-quarter cup of sugar slowly until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter.
• Grease two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch pans. Spoon the batter into the pans. Place a large pan filled halfway up with boiling water on the lowest oven rack. Place the cakes on the middle oven rack.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 55 minutes longer or until the cake centers spring back when lightly touched. Cool the cakes on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans.
• Wrap the cooled cakes in Sherry- or brandy-soaked cheesecloth. Place in tightly covered containers or wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Check the cheesecloth occasionally. If it dries out, add more Sherry or brandy.
• Garnish the cakes with candied cherries, if desired.

WASHINGTON CREAM PIE

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat eggs on high for 3 minutes; gradually add sugar. Combine flour and baking powder; stir into egg mixture alternately with water. Beat on low for 1 minute. Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until the cake tests done. Cool. Split cake into two layers. , For filling, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan; stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook for 2 minutes. Stir a small amount into eggs; mix well. Return all to pan. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until thick. Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Add the butter and vanilla; cool completely. Spread between cake layers. Cut into squares; top with pie filling and whipped cream.

MARTHA WASHINGTON'S GREAT CAKE

Steps:

• WRITTEN AS PER MARTHA WASHINGTON'S DIRECTIONS.
• Take forty eggs and divide the whites from the yolks, and beat them (whites) to a froth.
• Then work the butter to a cream, and put the whites of the eggs to it, a cup at a time, until well-worked.
• Then add sugar (finely powdered) to it in the same manner (one cup at a time).
• Then put the egg yolks and flour and fruit to it.
• Add to it mace, nutmeg, wine and brandy.
• Two hours will bake it. (350 degrees).
• In the TV program: Martha Stewart baked this in a 16x16x3-inch square pan (it was HUGE!). I suppose you could divide the batter between two 13x9 pans, too.
• She frosted it with a meringue (whipped egg white & sugar) that was lightly baked to give it a crunch -- and claimed that it would keep for weeks if the cake wasn't cut.
• She's got a smaller version on her website.

WASHINGTON APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Butter a 9x13" cake pan and set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs at high speed until thick and light in color.
• Combine sugar and oil and beat into eggs.
• Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
• Add to egg mixture along with vanilla.
• Stir in nuts.
• Spread apple slices in bottom of buttered cake pan.
• Pour batter over apples, spreading to cover.
• Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour or until top is pale golden and apples are cooked.
• Remove from oven.
• Cool cake in pan on wire rack.
• When completely cool top with cream cheese icing.
• Cream Cheese Icing:.
• Beat cream cheese until fluffy.
• Beat in 1/4 c melted butter.
• Stir in 1-3/4 c confectioners sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice.
• Spread over cooled cake.

MARTHA WASHINGTON'S GREAT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Soak raisins and currants in water in small bowl overnight.
• Combine orange peel, lemon peel, citron and cherries in mediumsize bowl, sprinkle with brandy; let stand overnight.
• Grease two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch pans.
• Beat egg whites in medium-size bowl with electric mixer until foamy white. Beat in 1/4 cup of the sugar slowly until meringue forms stiff peaks; reserve.
• Beat butter, remaining sugar, egg yolks and lemon juice in large bowl with electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about five minutes.
• Sift flour, mace and nutmeg onto wax paper. Stir into batter alternately with sherry, blending well.
• Drain raisins and currants. Add to batter with candied fruits and brandy, mixing well.
• Fold in reserved meringue until no streaks of white remain. Pour batter into pans. Place in a roasting pan on lowest rack of oven. Fill halfway with boiling water. Place cakes on middle rack of oven.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 325 degrees and bake 55 minutes longer until centers spring back when lightly touched with fingertip. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.
• To store: wrap in sherry- or brandy-soaked cheesecloth; place in tightly covered containers for a month or longer. Pour more sherry or brandy over cake when cheesecloth dries out.
• Garnish with candied cherries, if you wish.

GEORGE WASHINGTON CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 (9 inch) round pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the top of a double boiler, heat chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in melted chocolate. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the water and buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Finely chop cherries and fold in. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Fill and frost with chocolate cherry frosting.
• For the frosting: In the top of a double boiler, heat chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, melted chocolate and almond extract. Cream with an electric mixer. Add reserved cherry juice by the tablespoon until frosting reaches desired consistency.

WASHINGTON APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Beat first 6 ingredients and 1/2 cup sour cream in large bowl with mixer until blended. Stir in apples.
• Pour into greased and floured 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup fluted tube pan.
• Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan with knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. Cool cake completely.
• Whisk sugar, 1 tsp. water and remaining sour cream until blended; drizzle over cake. Let stand until glaze is firm.