The Gorgeous 1940s Cake You've Probably Never Heard Of - Tasting Table

"In 1941, Presto Cake Flour advertised a pretty cake set with a uniform pattern. The recipe was described as a "quaint, old-fashioned idea for a modern cake" that was made easy by using Presto products. To advertise this marvel, an image of what is called a Chintz Cake displays the beautiful result that this advertised self-rising flour might produce. The listed recipe to make the cake includes the Presto cake flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, plus grated orange."

"On top of the smoothed frosting, carefully set pieces of candy contribute to an aesthetic worthy of modern-day social media feeds. Detailed instructions to replicate this chintz-inspired design are outlined, with visuals helping homemakers place small, circular orange candies at the point of the two halves of pistachio nuts set flat side up. Alternate options show other ways to make patterns using white and green candies to form small lilies or create a more geometric design with three circular candies placed between longer white candies."

"Long before Presto described itself as a game changer for cake making by promoting cakes that could be made from soft, finely milled flour that already had baking powder and salt added (with perfectly-measured flour, baking powder, and salt already sifted together, homemakers could devote their time to other endeavors and trust that a perfectly made cake would be pulled out of the oven), chintz had fans."

Presto Cake Flour promoted a Chintz Cake in 1941 that used self-rising, finely milled flour to simplify cake making. The recipe lists Presto cake flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and grated orange, and an orange butter frosting from butter, confectioners' sugar, grated orange, an egg yolk, and lemon and orange juices. The frosting is smoothed and decorated with small circular orange candies and pistachio halves arranged in chintz-inspired floral patterns, with alternate designs using white and green candies. Chintz patterns derive from the Hindi word "chint" and feature colorful floral prints brought to Europe in the 17th century.

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