Cottage Pudding

Recipe No. 113 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Desserts. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Shortening — 1½ pounds (¾ No. 56 dipper)
• Sugar, granulated — 3 pounds (1½ No. 56 dippers)
• Eggs — 12 eggs (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Flour, sifted — 5 pounds (5 No. 56 dippers)
• Baking powder — 3½ ounces (9⅓ mess kit spoons)
• Salt — 1 ounce (2 mess kit spoons)
• Milk, evaporated — 2½ — 14½-ounce cans
• Water (for milk) — 1 quart (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Vanilla — 1 ounce (2 mess kit spoons)

Directions

Key ingredients

Baking Soda & Baking Powder · Evaporated Milk

1. Stir shortening until soft and smooth.
2. Add sugar gradually; mix thoroughly.
3. Add unbeaten eggs a few at a time, beating after each addition until well-mixed; continue beating until light and fluffy.
4. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together twice.
5. Mix milk and water; add vanilla.
6. Add dry ingredients and milk alternately to sugar mixture, first adding about ⅓ dry ingredients, then ½ milk, then another ⅓ dry ingredients and remaining milk and dry ingredients.
7. Mix thoroughly until smooth.
8. Pour into greased sheet pans. Bake in moderate oven (350° F.) about 30 to 35 minutes or until done.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Shortening — 2 oz Sugar, granulated — 3¾ oz Eggs — 1 eggs Flour, sifted — 6⅓ oz Baking powder — about 1⅔ tsp Salt — about ½ tsp Milk, evaporated — ½ can (14½ oz) Water (for milk) — 5 tbsp Vanilla — about ½ tsp

This recipe makes two sheet cakes (17 by 24 by 1 inches). Serve with chocolate sauce, hard sauce, or a fruit sauce (recipes Nos. 487, 488 or 486).

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 113, Desserts. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.