Here’s an old recipe from the 1950’s cookbook called “All About Home Baking and Cooking.” This is a collection of recipes from the Ladies’ Aid Society of St. Paul’s Lutheran and Reformed Church from Adamstown, PA. This cake most likely is from earlier than the 1950’s because it is from cooks and bakers from around that time and most likely have had the recipes for many years themselves.
This cake is a silver layer (white) and a gold layer (yellow). The combination of the different colors gives it the name “Silver and Gold” cake, but they are not the actual colors. Someone put the two flavors together and gave it this name. Actually it was a recipe from Maude Bowman, and from what I hear, she was a pretty good baker in town.This is also a heavy cake, as a lot of scratch cakes are, but you have to like a heavy cake. It is a delicious cake nevertheless.
* There are no real directions in this cookbook, so I’ll give you what I think the directions would call for.
Happy Cake Baking!
Silver Layer:
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1-stick)
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
whites of 4 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional
Gold Layer:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1 and 1/2 cups flour
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
Directions:
No real directions so, I’ll post what I think! lol
Directions for Silver Layer:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 8-inch baking pans and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift flour and baking powder together. In another bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Alternate the flour and milk to the butter and sugar mixture, beginning with the flour and ending with the flour.
Fold in egg whites and spoon into prepared cake pan.
I was not sure if you beat the egg whites or not, the recipe does not say. I beat the egg whites when I mae this cake, but you may not have to…your decision.
Directions for Gold Layer:
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix well.
Sift flour with baking soda and baking powder.
Alternately add flour and milk to the butter sugar mixture beginning with flour and ending with flour. Mix well and spoon into prepared baking pan.
Bake both layers for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes on a baking rack for 10 minutes before turning out. Cool completely before frosting.
White Fudge Frosting:
Ingredients:
½ cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup milk
2 cups or more of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
In a saucepan, melt butter.
Add granulated sugar and milk, stir until blended.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Gradually add enough powdered sugar to reach desired consistency.
Add vanilla and mix well.
Fills and frosts two (8 or 9”) cake layers, or a 9 x 13” cake.
Rosetta Bakes! 
Hi Rosetta! I have seen this cake at a state fair in Michigan many many years ago. Of course it was not decorated as only you can, but I distinctly remember the two different cake flavors. It won a Gold ribbon, and I don’t know what that meant anymore. Lets just say it won.
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Wow, thank you Trish! I made this cake for my sister when she was here in Pensacola visiting from Georgia. She really loved this cake. I love hearing about some the history of things I make. I have some very old cookbooks and will occasionally make a really old cake. Thanks for letting me know!
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You are right to believe that Silver and Gold cake is older than the 1950s. The cake makes its appearance in a book from the Anne of Green Gables series – Rainbow Valley – which was published in 1919. The story, itself, takes place prior to World War I. When I read that book as a child, I wondered what kind of cake that was; now I know. Thank you!
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Thank you Carol for sharing this informaiton about this cake! This is a good cake, but it’s a heavy cake. I have another cake I’ve posted called “Pink Lozenger Cake” and this is an old recipe also, but again, not sure how old. I think some people may turn away from the Pink Lozenger cake bit it’s one worth trying. This cake has only a hint of mint, it’s not a heavy mint taste. I made this cake once for a bake sale at a hospital and this cake was a huge cake and it looked much prettier than the picture. Anyway, my boss was to take what we had backe for the bake sale to the hospital to be sold by the slice or raffle. When I asked what the people said about the cake she said she didn’t know because she just sat it on the table and walked awy…grrrrr. A lot of time when into that cake and the cake recipe is very old. I told her now light the mint taste is and how old the recipe was, but she never said a word. It was sold as an auction item, but the buyer never knew anything about the cake, infact, the buyer never even knew the flavor! The back sale was for breast cancer. Ohhhh, I had to vent again about the Pink Lozenger cake again! lol Thanks so much for your message, I’m sure some of my followers have wondered how this cake got it’s name.
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