On Thu, 22 Jun 2017 03:30:41 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
> wrote:

>On Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at 6:52:26 PM UTC-4, Boron Elgar wrote:
>> On Sat, 17 Jun 2017 19:03:08 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >This recipe was adapted from a hand-written recipe dated 1942. It
>> >can be used for any occasion, but is especially nice for a birthday
>> >cake. Great texture and great flavor.
>> >
>> >Lucious Yellow Cale
>> >-------------------
>> >2 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour
>> >2 Cups Granulated Sugar
>> >1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
>> >1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
>> >1 Teaspoon Salt
>> >1 Cup Whole Milk
>> >1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
>> >2 Each Large Eggs
>> >2 Teaspoons Orange Extract
>> >2 Teaspoons Lemon Extract
>> >1 Teasspoon Vanilla Extract
>> >1 Teaspoon White Wine Vinegar (no Substitute)
>> >1 Cup Boiling Water
>> >
>> >Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease and flour 13x9x2 inch pan.
>> >
>> >Combine all dry ingrdientsw in a batter bowl or large mixing bowl
>> >and whisk to thorougly combine.
>> >
>> >Combine all wet ingedients (except boiling water) in a 2-cup
>> >measure.
>> >
>> >Pour contents of 2-cup measure into dry ingredients and beat on low
>> >speed for 20-30 seconds to combine.
>> >
>> >Continue beating at high speed for 2 minutes, while beating 1 cup of
>> >water to boiling.
>> >
>> >At the end of 2 minutes slowly add the boiling water while beating
>> >at low speed. Batter will be thin.
>> >
>> >Pour into baking pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick
>> >inserted in center comes out dry.
>> >
>> >Cool comcpletely on wire rack before frosting.
>> >
>> >Notes:
>> >
>> >Chocolate or caramel buttercream, or fruit flavored frostings work
>> >nicely with this cake.
>> >
>> >Other baking options may be used:
>> >
>> >Three layers baked for 30-35 minutes.
>> >Bundt Cake baked for 50-55 minutes.
>> >Cupcakes baked for 22-25 minutes.
>> >
>> >For these cake sizes, allow to cool on wire rach for 10 minutes, then
>> >turn out to cool completely on rack.
>>
>> Looks like a delightful recipe.
>>
>> Do you have any idea of when the adaptations were made? In 1942, it
>> would have been really unusual to use oil in a cake (tho some
>> specialty olive oil cakes existed), and if butter or margarine were
>> not being used, Crisco or similar would have been instead.
>
>Is it possible that it was a wartime adaptation to get around
>rationing, thus saving butter or vegetable shortening for other
>uses?
>
>Cindy Hamilton


I can go read up on it, but the usual corn or veg oils just were not
around. They did not become popular until later. Not sure even of the
ubiquity of Crisco during WWII. Margarine was around for some cake
recipes.

One of the bigger shortages was eggs. A lot of wartime recipes called
for "eggless" this or that cake. Milk, too, was in short supply.

https://the1940sexperiment.com/100-wartime-recipes/

https://www.recipelion.com/Cake-Reci...e-Wartime-Cake