GREAT GRAMMIE PAGE’S HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE

GREAT GRAMMIE PAGE’S HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE

PREHEAT OVEN 350˚F (Aunt Linda’s instructions were 400 ˚F) Butter and lightly flour a 9” square cake pan
	GREAT-GRAMMIE PAGE’S	MOM’S
Beat until thickened	2 eggs	2 eggs
	1 tsp vanilla or lemon           extract	1 tsp vanilla
Add gradually	1 cup granulated sugar, combined with	1 cup granulated            sugar
	1 tbsp cornstarch
Combine, then add	1 cup flour	1 cup flour
	2 tsp baking powder	1 tsp baking powder
	½ tsp nutmeg     (optional)	¼ tsp salt
Meantime, heat together in a small saucepan just until butter melts.
	½ cup milk	½ cup milk
	butter size of an egg	1 tbsp butter
Stir milk and butter into batter and mix well. Batter will be very liquid. Pour into pan. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
LAZY DAISY CAKE
In a small saucepan over low heat, mix together until melted and well blended:	3 tbsp butter 3 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp cream (or milk)
Stir in:	½ cup coconut and/or chopped nuts
Spread over HOT cake directly from oven, and return to oven to brown lightly under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, taking care that it does not burn.
COTTAGE PUDDING
	VANILLA SAUCE	LEMON SAUCE
In a small saucepan, combine:	½ to 1 cup granulated                   sugar 2 tbsp cornstarch dash [1/8tsp] salt	½ to 1 cup granulated                   sugar 2 tbsp cornstarch dash [1/8tsp] salt
Add slowly, stirring constantly:	2 cups boiling water	2 cups boiling water
Simmer and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in:	¼ cup butter 1 to 2 tsp vanilla dash of nutmeg or             mace	2 tbsp butter ¼ cup lemon juice 1 tsp lemon rind,           grated
Spoon hot sauce over warm cake and serve.
FoodNotes: This is a very old recipe, and common to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Grammie Hines makes this recipe, which was handed down from her grandmother MacDonald in Three Mile Plains. Nancy Lowery makes the same hot milk sponge cake which is a recipe handed down to her from her mother in Lower Sackville. Nancy’s sauce however, is made with brown sugar which gives it a caramel taste. Although I usually make this recipe as Lazy Daisy Cake (from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook), Uncle Ed remembers Great Grammie Page making it as cottage pudding with vanilla sauce. He remembers it being delicious and not too sweet, so try the recipe with less than 1 cup sugar. I suspect the sauce would also be quite good with maple syrup substituted for vanilla. [Use at least 1 tbsp.] Aunt Linda believes the cornstarch lightens the flour to give the cake a finer crumb – no scientific experiment carried out;)