Square White Cake

Makes a 9 x 9 inch square, plain white cake.  We made this for a Canada Day dessert. Spread the top with maple icing and chopped walnuts when cool and serve with ice cream, or serve plain in a dish with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.

This recipe was contributed to the 1911 Canadian Farm Cookbook by Mrs. Simmonds of Wilton, Ontario. It was reprinted by the Globe and Mail in 2012, online here.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 9 inch square cake pan.
2. Cream:

• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1 cup white granulated sugar.

(If you use unsalted butter add 1/2 tsp. salt to the flour mixture, otherwise do not use extra salt)

      3. Stir into butter mixture:

•  2 lightly beaten large eggs, at room-temperature

      4. In a separate bowl, sift:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp baking powder

      5. In a measuring cup, pour:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

      6. Alternate adding flour and milk mixtures to butter mixture (about 1/3 at a time), mix.

      7. Use a spatula to spread cake batter into prepared cake pan.

       8. Bake at 350 degrees F. about 30-40 minutes or until cake rises and looks golden on top.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan.

       9. Frost top with maple icing and sprinkle with chopped walnuts if desired.

      10. Cut in squares.

Maple Icing

• 8 oz butter
• 9 oz icing sugar
• 1 tbsp cream 
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

1. Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer.
2. Add cream, vanilla and maple syrup, mix.