Recipe: Bliztkuchen (Lightening Cake)

I inherited from Grandma Edie a 1953 edition of "The Joy of Cooking." I keep finding her handwritten notes in the margins, hidden messages intended to save me from kitchen disasters.

It took a long time to narrow down my first recipe and in the process I learned what aspic was (yum!). Opting for something safe I chose to bake Blitzkuchen, a German tea cake known for it's quick baking time. My co-worker says it tastes a bit like a Snicker-doodle, but the cake version.



Beat together until light and creamy:
1 cup powdered or granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
Stir in:
4 well-beaten egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl, sift together:
1 1/8 cup cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
Combine wet and dry ingredients, then mix in:
3 Tbsp milk

In a separate bowl, whip until stiff:
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
Fold egg whites lightly into the batter mix.

Place the batter in 2 greased 8x12 inch pans (*I cheated and used one 9x13 pan). Spread top with 1 egg white mixed with 1 Tbsp water. Sprinkle on top:
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup shredded almonds
Bake cake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.