Charles S. Taylor Family Cake
Submitted by Sue Lowes on Jun 11, 2010

Spice cake with nuts. An old recipe handed down from generation to generation.

Servings:
Group

Complexity:   
Easy

Total Time:
1 hour

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1&1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs beaten
1&3/4 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1&1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup sour milk (add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to fresh milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla (or 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon lemon extract)
1 cup coarsely cut roasted nuts

Directions:
Cream shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and beat thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with sour milk. Add vanilla extract. Fold in nuts. (To roast nuts, place in a shallow pan and heat in a slow oven, 325 degrees, about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.)

Stir mixture frequently. Pour batter into a square or round greased pan or into a loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees about 30-35 minutes.

This is an old-fashioned tea cake. Though the original recipe does not call for icing, I add cream cheese frosting.

Cook's Notes:
Mr. Taylor's daughter, Julia Curl handed down this recipe to her descendants. With it came her eyewitness account of festive occasions in their home in old Nacogdoches. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison included this recipe on one of her recent Christmas cards.