My Mother's Recipes: Velvet Crumb Cake (aka Wheaties Cake)

One of my most treasured possessions is my mother's recipe box. To be honest, I didn't even know she had one until after she died and it fell to me to empty cabinets and secret drawers. She had always been a seat-of-the-pants cook who created wonderful meals seemingly from divine inspiration and a sprinkling of hot peppers. But there they were, some of my favorite recipes from childhood, neatly typed up on index cards and as I looked at them, a flood of memories washed over me.

Typing the recipes was my job. I was maybe seven or eight and madly in love with the feel of a keyboard beneath my fingers. I was also a budding entrepreneur and I decided I would set myself up as Your Friendly Neighborhood Typist who would transcribe your most treasured recipes onto index cards for a nickel a pop. My mother, of course, became my number one client, followed by Aunt Betty from downstairs who also dug up her favorites for me to turn into comic book money. (You already know I was a major Katy Keene fan who needed some bucks to subsidize her habit.)

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite of the old recipes. You'll notice liberal use of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. They're circa 1957 so don't blame me if cholesterol counts and fat grams are off the charts!

1 1/3 cups Bisquick
3/4 cup sugar
3 T butter
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 t vanilla

Topping:

3 T butter
1/3 C brown sugar
2 T cream
1/2 C Wheaties (coconut, Corn Flakes, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8” square pan. Mix Bisquick, butter, 1/4 cup milk, egg for one minute. Gradually add rest of milk and vanilla. Beat for one minute. Bake in square pan for 35-40 minutes.

Blend topping ingredients in small bowl. Spread on cooled cake. Run cake under broiler low heat until bubbly and brown. (You might try doubling the amount of topping you use for a tastier, more decadent version of our old favorite.)