Molasses Layer Cake

I made some gingerbread today (without ginger) and the Wengers were over for pinochle tonite.  Are using red sugar now - sort of like molasses in our cooking and baking - its much cheaper.  Have certainly cut down on our cakes - haven't had a pie for months.  - Annette, April 1943

I have always loved gingerbread.  It breaks my heart a little that we consider it a 'seasonal' flavor, because I could eat gingerbread any day of the week.  My dad loved ginger snaps, and anything molasses-based.  I wonder if his love of molasses came from Annette.  Many of her recipes use molasses - perhaps, because it was cheaper and easier to acquire in China.  Maybe she continued to bake with molasses once they were stateside.  In honor of Father's Day today, I baked this Molasses Layer Cake from his mother's recipe.  I wonder if he grew up eating this very same cake.

Once again, Annette's recipe is not the most forthcoming.  I made a small adjustment with the amount of butter - the entire cake only used 2T!  I doubled that amount, to better facilitate creaming the butter and sugar.  I'm guessing the baking soda dissolved in buttermilk gives it lift while adding a bit more fat.  I baked the cakes at 350degrees for 30min, then turned off the oven and let the cakes sit for another 4 minutes.  After 2 minutes of resting in the pans, I turned them out onto a wire rack, then let them cool completely.  The cakes are so tender and fluffy.  I made a quick Cinnamon Buttercream Icing, to compliment the cinnamon in the cake.  Recipe and photos below!

Molasses Layer Cake

1 cup sugar

2 tablesp butter (I used 4T - half a stick)

2 eggs

1 teasp cinnamon

1 teasp soda diss. in 1 cup sour milk

1 cup molasses

2 1/2 cups flour

Cream together butter + sugar.  add eggs and molasses and flour + milk alternately.  Bake in 2 layers.

Standard ingredients shot. I added a bit of salt to the batter, just to balance the molasses sweetness.

Pans greased and floured.

Baking soda - buttermilk mixture. I love that it used to be called ‘sour milk’!

I added the cinnamon to the dry ingredients for more even incorporation.

Go mixer go!

Batter evenly spread between the two prepared pans.

The cakes were so light and delicate, but packed with big molasses flavor.

Cinnamon buttercream to finish it off! Yum!

The Star On The Wings

Things quieting down some.  News is much better - lots of planes flying around + using this field.  We are really in the front line now.  Hospital down to 4 patients - everyone is afraid the U.S. airmen are staying here + that we are sure to be bombed.  Right after lunch we had to run like everything because the urgent alarm + then the planes came so quick.  They came tearing down the valley real low and we thot sure we were going to get aplenty - then we noticed the star on the wings - our own planes - 8 of them - they all landed, but took off again very shortly.  We played pinochle later. 

A real fight today.  At noon 9 planes landed here to refuel.  Almost immediately the alarm sounded + they all took to the air, waiting for the Japs.  They came sneeking over the mountains - 8 of them, bombed the airfield + made a beeline for home, our planes hot on their trail.  We heard 1 Jap plane had been shot down.  We'll be seeing plenty of excitement around here now I think. 

-Annette, June 1943

Annette and Clary had a front-row seat to all the wartime action!  I included two entries here, because I love her entries from June 1943. 

Annette had been in China for over two years, and she always longed for some connection to home.  I see it in her cooking, her excitement over letters and magazines, and of course, in her desire to keep up with the progressing war.  There is a shift, though.  Now, she isn't just running for air raid sirens.  Now, she can look up and see those stars on the wings.  American pilots flying American planes.  Even in the devastation of war, I can only imagine the relief and pride she felt.  Maybe hope, too.  Hope that they were going to make it through this terrible war.

Her past entries included so much detail about their daily routines, but as the front lines shifted, all entries were war updates.  Here, though, she mentions a game of pinochle - her favorite evening activity with her friends.  Slowly, the details come back.  She had an awful toothache. She found time to can the beans before they went bad.  Her friend Elsie is pregnant again.  She even mentions (finally!) how many orphans they sent with Miss Simon - 14 infants!

Even when the world is turned upside down, Annette noticed the details.  It's easy to give up hope when 8 planes fly overhead - until you see the star on the wings.  Those American pilots renewed her spirits - and her connection to her home.  

I'll take a break from Annette for the next few posts, but don't worry, we'll come back to this time in her life.  Exciting things are coming up for her!

This Day In History!

The Japs got back on our trail today.  Had about 5 ginbows and saw 4 planes flying back.  We powed every time and missed quite a bit of language work.  Washed my head + dried it outside it was that warm.  This evening Clary + I started out reading, but Doc came over and we played bridge.  -  Annette, February 4, 1941

Tonite was Chinese New Year's Eve, so we had to have a pinochle game and more ice cream.  Our ice will soon be gone and our maple flavoring is going too.  Ta Wei is such a little pest.  He drives me too distraction - he gets into so much mischief and is always so dirty and gets his clothes and sweaters so messed up.  Guess he's just a real boy.  -  Annette, February 4, 1943

Ever since I started this blog, I've wanted to do a "This Day In History" post!  Annette's diary is the most regular, so here's what she was up to on February 4.  I was planning to just do one entry, but I couldn't choose between these two - I liked them both!

In 1941, Annette and Clary were still settling into their roles in China.  Annette had time to wash and dry her hair in the sun, and to play bridge in the evening - clearly there were no kids in the picture yet!  All the while, they spent that lovely day running to and from their bomb shelter cave.  As they watched the planes zoom overhead, I'm sure it was starting to sink in - the war was their new normal.  At least there was time for a card game.  

Fast-forward to 1943, when she was chasing around a wild toddler!  Ta Wei is my uncle, the first of Annette's three sons.  From her diary, she sure had a time keeping up with him!  I love that, again, she mentions the ice cream.  That special occasion treat on the eve of Chinese New Year kept her connected to her American life.  Now I find myself craving vanilla ice cream with maple topping!  Of course, no celebration was complete without a card game.  She had such good friends in China, and I love reading about their social card games.

I wonder what will happen on February 4, 2018....