A recipe for the Farmer’s Daughter Cake: easy to make, unpretentious, and loaded with old-fashioned charm.
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy to make. Like all vegetable oil cake, this cake comes together quite quickly. It relies on the heavy cream and eggs for moisture.
- The icing! The icing, while a bit more complicated, is so delicious that it’s totally worth the effort. Once it sets, it totally encases the cake in a layer of chocolate that’s somewhere between frosting and fudge.
- Better than the original. The recipe is adapted from the classic Maida Heatter’s Cakes, which calls for no butter or oil of any kind. The original is quite dry, especially after the first day. This one is much moister.
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
(adapted from the classic Maida Heatter’s Cakes)
You’ll need the following for this simple homemade cake:
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Milk
- Unsweetened chocolate
- Whole milk
- Egg yolks
- Unsalted butter
🍴Instructions
Making the cake
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan. You can try spraying with non-sticking baking spray or coating in shortening then dusting with flour.
Beat the eggs, vanilla, and sugar in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer until slightly lightened in color. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add half to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Then add the heavy cream and finally the remaining dry ingredients, mixing on low.
Pour in the batter and smooth out the top!
Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes, a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Turn onto a wire rack, turn the cake right side up, and cover with a clean tea towel.
It will flatten as it cools.
Making the icing
Melt the chocolate, sugar, and milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, until the sugar dissolves (Be sure to rub the mixture between your fingers to ensure the sugar is no longer grainy). Remove from the heat before it boils, and set aside.
Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Add a small amount of the chocolate mixture and stir into the yolks to temper them. Slowly add more chocolate, stirring continuously, until half of it is mixed into the eggs. Add the egg/ chocolate mixture back into the chocolate and mix until everything is combined.
Pour into a mixing bowl (if you have a stand mixer, use that bowl), and stir in the butter by hand. Allow to cool at room temperature, undisturbed, until completely cool.
Beat the icing with an electric mixer until it is smooth and shiny. It will become slightly lighter is color and stream down off the beater in ribbons. This will take about five minutes on high using a stand mixer, and ten with a hand mixer.
Place cake on top of parchment paper to catch any icing drips.
Pour half of the icing in the center and along the edges of the cake. Wait one minute to let it run down the sides. Pour the remaining icing in the center and on any corners that were missed. It will smooth out on its own, but you can smooth it with a butter knife if you’d like.
Let the cake stand at room temperature for two hours, until the icing is dry to the touch. (It will be set, but still soft!)
🥫 Storage instructions
If you’ve got some cake left, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap. The icing won’t be disturbed, so no worries. Store it on the counter for a day or so.
Freezing this cake? Slice it, place parchment paper between slices, and store in an airtight container. When you want to enjoy it, let it thaw at room temperature.
🔍 FAQs
Absolutely! Try swapping a bit of the vanilla with almond or coconut extract. You can also experiment with orange or mint extracts for a unique twist.
Simple! Insert a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs (but no wet batter), you’re good to go.
Sure thing! If you want to use a round pan or a loaf tin, just be mindful of the baking time. It will be different.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
Room Temperature Ingredients: Always aim to use ingredients at room temperature, especially eggs and butter. This ensures even mixing and better texture.
Melting Chocolate: When melting chocolate, use a low and consistent heat. Consider using a double boiler to avoid direct contact with the flame. This will prevent any burning or lump formation. (I do not use a double boiler, but I do keep a close eye on it!)
Cool Completely Before Icing: Patience is key. Allow the cake to cool completely before you start with the icing. This ensures that the icing spreads smoothly and doesn’t melt off.
📘 more old-fashioned cake Recipes
- Classic Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Old Fashioned Spice Cake
- Sourdough Chocolate Cake
- Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake
- And 23 MORE Old-Fashioned Cake Recipes here! 👵🏻
🍽 Serve it with
Fresh strawberries and a hot cup of coffee. 😊
📖 Here’s the recipe
The Farmer’s Daughter Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk whole is best
Icing
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate see notes for substitutions
- ½ cuo whole milk
- 1⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1½ tablespoons butter unsalted
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center. Prepare an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan by spraying with non-sticking baking spray or coating in shortening this dusting with flour.
- Beat the eggs, vanilla, and sugar in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer until slightly lightened in color. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add half to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Then add the heavy cream and finally the remaining dry ingredients, mixing on low.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Flip out onto a cooling rack, turn the cake right side up, and cover with a clean tea towel. The cake will flatten as it cools. Cool completely before icing.
Make the Icing
- Melt the chocolate, sugar, and milk in a small saucepan over medium low heat, until the sugar dissolves (rub the mixture between your fingers to make sure the sugar is no longer grainy). Remove from the heat before it boils, and set aside.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Add a small amount of the chocolate mixture and stir into the yolks to temper them. Slowly add more chocolate, stirring continuously, until half of it is mixed into the eggs. Add the egg/ chocolate mixture back into the chocolate and mix until everything is combined.
- Pour into a mixing bowl (if you have a stand mixer, use that bowl), and stir in the butter by hand. Allow to cool at room temperature, undisturbed, until completely cool.
- Beat the icing with an electric mixer until it is smooth and shiny. It will become slightly lighter is color and stream down off the beater in ribbons. This will take about five minutes on high using a stand mixer, and ten with a hand mixer.
Ice the Cake
- Place cake on a wire rack or cake stand on top of parchment paper to catch any icing drips.
- Pour half of the icing in the center and along the edges of the cake. Wait one minute to let it run down the sides. Pour the remaining icing in the center and on any corners that were missed. It will smooth out on its own, but you can smooth it with a butter knife if you'd like.
- Let the cake stand at room temperature for two hours until the icing is dry to the touch. Carefully transfer the cake to a cake stand or platter to cut and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
