Cake Party!

Front and back cover of a recipe booklet published by the Continental Baking Company, Inc. That tower of white is described later in as follows: "Simple But Gay Birthday Party Cakes... Purchase sufficient Hostess Sno-Balls allowing one per person. Insert a candle in center of each and place on two or three tiered plate, or as shown on the cover." Birthday magic, all right.

Here's the page which discloses names for all the masterworks on the cover. Also, there's that spiky strawberry flying saucer thing which I think is meant to be shortcake. I'm speechless.

Front and back cover of a 50-page promotional booklet published by Igleheart Brothers, Inc. ("Established 1856") of Evansville, Indiana, and General Foods Corporation. I don't know what the punched hole was for. A string holding an extra coupon or a small trinket went there, maybe.

Inside front cover and first page from the booklet. Considering that the Depression was in full swing, this is a pretty lavish production. The cover is heavy cardstock and the papers inside are thick. Nice Art Deco stylings on the typeface and pictures, too.

Some clippings from inside the booklet, slightly enlarged. I'm not sure what the "lightning" in "Lightning Layer Cake" was in reference to, since all of these cakes seem like pretty drawn-out productions. Usually the devoted cook sifted the flour 3-4 times, and presumably didn't own an electric mixer.

In the lower left hand corner of the "Caramel Layer Cake," you can just make out the illustrator's name: "Giro." I don't know anything about them. But these really are terrific pictures.

"Frosting Frills For Special Occasion Cakes: ...The pastry bag may be made of a three-cornered piece of heavy paper folded into cornucopia shape and pinned in place, or, better still, of a piece of heavy muslin or light-weight canvas stitched in the desired shape. This can be washed after using and so kept clean..."

"Swans Down Cake Flour will not only help you to achieve perfection in cake making, but it will make all your fine baking better than it could ever be, if you used ordinary flour. Swans Down will give extra crispness to your cookies-- extra lightness and tenderness to your biscuits, muffins, shortcakes, griddle cakes, and waffles-- wonderful lightness and flaky tenderness to your pastries! Follow these recipes and prove it!..."

And think of what all those hours of quadruple sifting will do for your upper body strength, Ladies!

Chocolate-y Tribbles: the perfect ending to any meal. From the October issue of Everywoman's.

"Some cake with your icing, Dear?" "Why, Yes. Don't mind if I do!" From Good Housekeeping's Picture Cookery.

"Due to 3' accumulations of sweetened coconut, the following public and private schools are closed today..." From the February issue of Good Housekeeping magazine.

Yeah, for me the phrases "Cake Mix" and "High Fashion" have always been synonymous. Now I know why. From the October issue of Family Circle magazine.

Gaze deeply into my creamy, sugary vortices... Your will, your soul is mine... You never loved your spouse, your offspring, your steamed vegetables and skinless baked chicken... You love only meeeee... From the April issue of Household magazine.

Front and back covers, plus two pages, from a 28-page promo published by General Foods Corp. (The pictures are all likely by the same artist who appeared here .)

That is... just about the most imposing cake ever. Anyone else hearing the opening theme from 2001 in their head? From Everywoman's magazine.

I've always thought of angel food cake as the ramen noodle of the dessert world: the extras do all the real work. But at least they look nice for the camera. From the May issue of Better Living magazine.

"Every evening I'm home from my job I fume, 'cause my boss is a lecherous slob I could have a stiff drink, but I 'Quik-Beat' instead And I 'arm work' that batter like it was the boss'es head!" -- part of a lullaby sung to the young Todd Rundgren by his Aunt Mary Louise From the July issue of Family Circle magazine.