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It’s one of the most popular Reddit recipes for a reason.
In addition to cookbooks and cooking websites, I now regularly turn to the r/old_recipes subreddit for new recipes. The Reddit page has become a goldmine for easy desserts, with impressive vintage recipes that cut out the bells and whistles of baking. Oftentimes, posts on the page give us a peek into families and communities we otherwise would never have known about, and the recipes that are special to them—and there’s something undeniably wholesome about that.
I’m not the only one fascinated by the page, either; the recipes posted there frequently become internet-famous. I recently tried a recipe from r/old_recipes that went from a simple cake known only to people in a small Midwestern town to a viral sensation: The Whipping Cream Cake.
What Is Whipping Cream Cake?
First thing’s first: the cake doesn’t actually have whipped cream in it. The name exists because the cake simply uses heavy whipping cream.
The recipe comes from a makeshift 1979 centennial cookbook honoring the town of Elliot, Iowa, according to a post on the forum by the relative of a former resident:
“This one is from a cookbook my husband’s grandmother got while she was living in Iowa,” they wrote. “It’s my [go-to] for my birthday every year. It’s dense and moist and the bottom never seems to completely set which makes for a nice slightly gooey layer.”
As of 2020, Elliott has less than 350 residents—but by now, this tiny town’s cake recipe has been seen by thousands. The original post garnered 3,000 upvotes and over 400 comments, becoming one of r/old_recipes most popular posts of all time.
“Oh my freaking God. This sounds incredible. I must make this cake!’ one commenter wrote.
“I followed this recipe and made it last night. Super delicious and dense but not too dense,” another said.
I knew I had to try this cake for two reasons. First, it uses only one bowl and six ingredients, making it much easier to make than most cakes. Second of all, I needed an excuse to try out my Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan.
How To Make the Viral Whipping Cream Cake
Start making the batter by beating together butter and granulated sugar. Next, mix in a whopping six eggs, beating after each addition. Next, add all-purpose flour, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract. I used my KitchenAid (the new Artisan Plus) given the large number of eggs and the other weighty ingredients that would’ve been tiring to mix by hand. Next, add your batter to the bundt pan. I was terrified of the cake getting stuck in the pan, so I used a multi-step process to lubricate it: first, I used a pastry brush to coat the pan with melted butter, ensuring I got in every crevice of the molded pan. I then sprayed the pan with cooking spray in case there were any missed spots. Finally, I dusted the pan with flour.
Don’t preheat your oven for this recipe: Instead, put the cake in a cold oven, set the temperature to 325 degrees F, and bake it for an hour and fifteen minutes. As many who tried the cake noted, I had to bake it for about 20 more minutes for it to be completely set. After letting the cake cool, I removed it from the pan. Thankfully, it came out in a dram. Finally, I dusted the top with powdered sugar.
My Review of the Viral Whipping Cream Cake
The cake is, in essence, a good pound cake. The inside is soft and quite dense, with a delightful crunchy brown top. My cake didn’t have a sticky bottom, probably because of the extra baking time it required. For such a simple cake, it feels special to serve it in a special molded pan. I used the Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan like the original poster, which has a geometric design with jutting, overlapping edges. However, you can use any 10-cup bundt pan, or even another option like a springform pan, or a casserole dish, as one commenter used. However, you may have to adjust the baking time.
Using a stand mixer made this cake straightforward. Something else interesting about the cake is that there’s no direct leavening agent, so I didn’t have to spend extra time measuring out baking powder or soda. And while the cake has no frosting (which also saves on time), it looks just as beautiful with the molded pan and dusting of powdered sugar on top. I served the cake with coffee ice cream, but it would also be amazing with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. While I wouldn’t make it for a birthday (I need my birthday cake to have frosting), I’d gladly make it as a simple yet impressive dessert for a holiday or dinner party.
Read the original article on Allrecipes
