This recipe is from The Teen Guide To Homemaking, a home economics book from 1961

Baking Like a Teen Homemaker: Quick Mix Gold Cake from 1961

If you’ve ever wanted to bake like a 1960s teen learning the art of homemaking, look no further than the Quick Mix Gold Cake from The Teen Guide to Homemaking (1961). This vintage home economics book was designed to teach young women the skills they needed to manage a household, and baking was an essential part of that education. The Quick Mix Gold Cake is a shining example of the era’s emphasis on convenience, efficiency, and delicious homemade treats.

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The Era of Quick-Mix Baking

The 1960s were all about modern convenience in the kitchen. Processed ingredients, pre-mixed products, and time-saving techniques were highly encouraged. While home bakers still valued made-from-scratch recipes, they also embraced methods that streamlined the process. The Quick Mix Gold Cake embodies this philosophy by using a method that requires minimal effort but delivers a beautifully soft, golden cake.

The Recipe: Simple and Sweet

The Quick Mix method, as the name suggests, simplifies the traditional creaming and folding steps. Instead, all the ingredients are combined in one go, making it an easy, foolproof cake for beginners.

Bringing Back Vintage Baking

This Quick Mix Gold Cake is the perfect recipe if you’re looking for a nostalgic, easy-to-make cake with a buttery flavor and tender crumb. It pairs beautifully with a classic buttercream frosting or a simple dusting of powdered sugar.

If you’re a fan of retro recipes, The Teen Guide to Homemaking is a fascinating window into mid-century home economics education. It’s a reminder of how baking was an essential skill for young homemakers—and how the love of homemade desserts never goes out of style!

Would you try this vintage recipe? Let us know in the comments!

Quick – Mix Gold Cake Two 8 inch Layers

Print Recipe

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups sugar
¾ cup softened shortening
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla or 2 teaspoons grated orange rind

Method

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add shortening, ½ cup milk, and unbeaten eggs, and stir lightly until flour mixture is dampened. Beat vigorously with mixing spoon or in an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Add remaining milk and vanilla or grated orange rind, and beat for 2 minutes. Pour into 2 greased cake pans. Bake in moderate oven (350 degree F) for 30 minutes, or until top of cake is brown and springs back to the touch. Cool pans on cake rack.
Remove cake, and cool on cake rack before frosting.

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