From the 1920s to the 1950s vintage cake ads have been a source of inspiration and innovation for bakers everywhere. With their beautiful artwork, popular retro flavors, and even recipes to try yourself, these ads delight the senses and make anyone think they are the next best baker.

Today’s post is going to feature some of these fun ads.

Let’s begin!

Note: For this post, if a vintage recipe is in the ad I have tried to make it bigger so you can give it a go at home. Happy Baking!

1950s vintage food ad for Fluffo Shortening for making vintage cakes, like Spice Cake with white icing with nuts as seen in a 1951 newspaper.

Source: eBay – Fluffo Shortening for making vintage cakes, like Spice Cake with white icing with nuts as seen in a 1951 newspaper.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Vintage Cake Advertising & Recipes

1920’s-1950’s

Hostess Cake! August 1929 ad for a ‘Hostess Lemon Loaf / Cake’. “An Unusual New Cake Made With Fresh Crushed Lemons”.

YUM! I did not realize that Hostess was this old (future blog post coming soon).

1920s vintage ad: Hostess Cakes! August 1929 ad for a 'Hostess Lemon Loaf / Cake'. "An Unusual New Cake Made With Fresh Crushed Lemons".

Source: Etsy –AmericanCenturyShop

“From an Economy recipe…get a Luxury cake! But not with ordinary Flour!” 1932 Swans Down cake flour ad.

1930s Vintage Ad: 1932 Swans Down cake flour ad featuring a vintage cake recipe for a Harvest Cake & Harvest Moon Frosting recipe

Harvest Cake & Harvest Moon Frosting recipes.

1930s vintage cake recipe for a Harvest Cake & Harvest Moon Frosting recipe as seen in a 1932 Swans Down Cake flour vintage ad.

Source: Etsy – AmericanCenturyShop

“He Came, she Conquered…with a Digestible dinner”. 1936 Crisco Shortening ad featuring recipe for ‘Dinner-In-A-Pie’, ‘Fried Bubbles’ and ‘Chocolate Temptation Cake’.

Vintage 1936 Crisco Shortening Cake Baking Print Ad featuring a 1930s cartoon and vintage recipes for pies, cakes and oysters.

Chocolate Temptation Cake Recipe.

1930s Vintage Recipe as seen in a 1930s Crisco Vintage ad for Chocolate Temptation Cake. Vintage Cake.

I also added the ‘Fried Bubbles’ recipe encase anyone was interested in this recipe (I have never heard of it before).

Fried Bubbles: Oysters with horse-radish right in them.

Source: Etsy – AmericanCenturyShop

1930s Betty Crocker Softasilk Cake Flour baking ad featuring a recipe for ‘Creole Chocolate Cake’ (Recipe below).

Further Reading: Take a look inside a 1950s Betty Crocker cookbook

1930s vintage ad for softasilk cake flour from betty crocker featuring a creole chocolate cake vintage recipe.

Vintage recipe for the Betty Crocker Creole Chocolate Cake featured in the ad above.

1950s vintage recipe for vintage cake Betty Crocker Creole Chocolate Cake as seen on a 1950s vintage ad.

Source: Etsy – AmericanCenturyShop

1942 Presto Cake Flour ad featuring a vintage cake recipe for ‘Marshmallow Lily Chocolate Cake’. How pretty!

1942 Presto Cake Flour Vintage Ad featuring a vintage cake recipe for Marshmallow Lily Chocolate cake with instructions on how to make the lily's featured on the cake in the ad.

Marshmallow-Lily Chocolate Cake recipe with instructions on how to make the Lily design.

Source: Etsy – PlentifulPages

“Like Ice-Cream ‘n’ Cake at Your House? 1947 Pillsbury’s Best Flour vintage ad featuring a recipe for ‘Cream-Lined Cake’.

It sure is colourful with neopolitan ice cream in the middle of the cake.

1940s Vintage Ad featuring an image of a vintage cake with ice cream in the middle. 1940s Vintage Cake Recipe for an 'Ann Pillsbury's Cream-Lined Cake' from 1947 vintage food advertisement.

Vintage Cake recipe for ‘Ann Pillsbury’s ‘CREAM-LINED CAKE’. A delightful new to way to serve it!

1940s Vintage Cake Recipe for an 'Ann Pillsbury's Cream-Lined Cake' from 1947 vintage food advertisement.

Source: Etsy-KristensVintagePaper

1940s Durkee’s Coconut Cake Baking Ad featuring a recipe for Coconut frosting (yum!).

1940s Vintage Ad: 1940s Durkee’s Coconut Cake Baking Ad featuring a recipe for Coconut frosting. The ad features an image of a vintage cake

Coconut Frosting recipe.

1940s Vintage Ad featuring a vintage recipe: 1940s Durkee’s Coconut Cake Baking Ad featuring a recipe for Coconut frosting.

Source: Etsy – AmericanCenturyShop

Introduced in 1952, Colorvision Cakes were one year ahead of color TV. Promising “a delicate texture, like that of fine lace,” the new cakes added fruit gelatin to the mix, promising a whole rainbow of new fruity, fluffy, fabulous possibilities.

1950s vintage ad for Betty's Crocker's Colorvision cake with pink icing recipe from 1952.

Colorvision Icing recipe. For the cake…”Follow easy directions for yellow two-egg cake printed on Betty Crocker PartyCake Mix package.”

1950s Vintage baking recipe: Colorvision Icing recipe. For the cake..."Follow easy directions for yellow two-egg cake printed on Betty Crocker PartyCake Mix package."

Source: Betty Crocker

1954 Diamond Walnuts vintage ad featuring a recipe for a ‘Walnut Ribbon Angel Cake’ & a ‘Cinnamon Waldorf Salad’.

What is a Waldorf Salad?

A Waldorf salad is a fruit and nut salad generally made of celery, fresh apples, walnuts, and grapes, dressed in mayonnaise, and traditionally served on a bed of lettuce as an appetizer or a light meal.

Waldorf salad is named for the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City, where it was first created for a charity ball given in honor of the St. Mary’s Hospital for Children on March 13, 1896 (Source).

1950s vintage ad: 1954 Diamond Walnuts vintage ad featuring a recipe for a 'Walnut Ribbon Angel Cake' & a 'Cinnamon Waldorf Salad'.

Source: Etsy-KristensVintagePaper

I’m going to leave you with this ‘1959 General Foods Baker’s Coconut Animal Cut-Up Cakes recipe book’ that you can instantly download HERE. How cute is the lion with his black licorce feet?

1950s Vintage Cake Baking Recipe book: 1959 General Foods Baker's Coconut Animal Cut-Up Cakes recipe book. Featuring a lion cake on the cover.

Someone PLEASE make the turtle cake pictured below (only because I have so many questions on what it is made out of beyond bacon feet, I think that is bacon or is it bread? Comment below whatyou think!).

1950s Vintage Cake Baking Recipe book: 1959 General Foods Baker's Coconut Animal Cut-Up Cakes recipe book. Featuring a turtle cake you can make.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Cake.

1950s Vintage Cake Baking Recipe book: 1959 General Foods Baker's Coconut Animal Cut-Up Cakes recipe book. Featuring a rudolph the red nose reindeer you can make.

Source: Etsy – ArtfulOtterDesigns

Now I’m not a baker but I love all these cakes and would love for someone to fedex me something yummy!

Question Time: Are you a Cake or Pie person? Did any of the cakes above catch your eye? Share any thoughts in the comment section below.

FURTHER READING:

Thanks for dropping by!

Liz

I wanted to share with you my latest vintage find, which just happens to be perfect for anyone hosting a 1950’s, 1960’s and even a 1970’s party…..

Dig That Dish-Teen-Age Party Menus & Recipes For All Occasions by Ruth Chier Rosen

BTW..I have my own ‘Mini Guide To Holding The Ultimate 1950’s Themed Party‘ that will point you in the right direction for the best 1950s themed party around!

ABOUT:

‘Dig that Dish’ by Ruth Chier Rosen is a book on ‘Teen-Age Party Menus & Recipes For All Occasions‘ (See perfect for your next themed party!). The version I have is copyrighted 1960 but it was gifted to a Mrs Sapoco at Christmas time in 1978 (was Mrs Sapoco a Teenage bride?).

1960s Vintage Cookbook: Dig that dish Vintage Cookbook 1960's

While doing research on this book I found out that Ruth is a very popular cookbook writer and has written around 40 books over her career (Her first book was published in 1950 and the last in 1971). She even has a website called ‘Food of the Fifites‘ where you can learn about all that she has done, read about her life on her blog and even purchase many of her books.

1960s Vintage Cookbook: Dig that dish Vintage Cookbook 1960's Ruth Chier Rosen

Speaking of cookbooks, here are some of her cleverly named ones.

“Have Cookbook Will Marry”: 104 confidence-building recipes for the budding home chef, both brides and grooms – Published 1956.

Vintage Cookbook: "Have cookbook will marry" by Ruth Chier Rosen published in 1956. — Source: Food of the Fifties.

“From Nets to You”: A Log of Fish Recipes – Published 1953.

1950s Vintage Cookbook: "From Nets To You" a collection of fish recipes by Ruth Cheir Rosen. Published in 1953 — Source: Food of the Fifties

“Freeze ‘N Easy” A chest of treasured recipes and ideas for the freezer -Published 1960.

“Cyrano de Casserole”: A Nosegay of Casserole Recipes – Published 1955.

“A Tomato Well Dressed”: 110 inventive salad and dressing recipes to tickle your palette and cinch your waistline – Published 1953.

1950s Vintage Cookbook: "A Tomato Well Dressed": 110 inventive salad and dressing recipes to tickle your palette and cinch your waistline - Published 1953. — Source: Food of the Fifties

“Masquerade the left over cook book”: 132 re-purposing recipes that help you create new meals from yesterday’s left-overs – Published 1962.

1960s Vintage Cookbook: "Masquerade the left over cook book": 132 re-purposing recipes that help you create new meals from yesterday's left-overs - Published 1962 by Ruth Cheir Rosen. — Source: Food of the Fifties

And my personal favorite…

“Pop“, Monsieur”: Cooking with Champagne – Published 1956 (I really need to find this one for my collection).

1950s Vintage Cookbook: "Pop", Monsieur": Cooking with Champagne - Published 1956 by Ruth Cheir Rosen. — Source: Food of the Fifties

Now lets head back to my book…..

A successful party takes ideas, organization, and your shoulder to the wheel.

When it is successful there is nothing like the satisfaction of knowing you put it across. The easiest way to do it is to set a theme, decide on the kind of food your crowd likes and provide enough space and opportunity for activity to keep the party moving.

The following party ideas can be used in combination with your own ideas and we hope they will spark some new ideas of your own. The food is all easy to prepare and you can do it yourself as part of the fun of having a party.

Here is a sampling of what you will find inside…..

The Vintage Party Themes:

1960s Vintage Cookbook / Vintage Recipes: Dig that Dish Vintage Cookbook -Teenage party menus and recipes for all occasions.

SPRING:

Graduation Buffet
Pre-Prom Dinner
April Fool’s Gathering
A Progressive Party

SUMMER:

Hobo Hay Ride
Summer Theatre Party
Splash Party
4th of July Barbecue

FALL:

Record Party
Halloween Square Dance
Post Football Game Supper
Sweet 16 Party

WINTER:

Ice Skating Party
New Years Eve Party
Christmas Party
Valentine Party

Each theme is broken down with party ideas, overview of recipes and then detailed instructions on how to make each of them. Here are a couple of examples.

April Fool Party Ideas:

Vintage Themed Party Idea: April Fools Party from "Dig that Dish" a Vintage Cookbook from the 1960's. Party info includes Invites ideas, decorations, music and activities.

April Fool Evening Party for 20 Menu:

Vintage Themed Party Food Ideas for an April Fools Party from "Dig that Dish" a Vintage Cookbook from the 1960's.

Record Party Ideas:

Vintage Themed Party Idea: Record Party from "Dig that Dish" a Vintage Cookbook from the 1960's. Party info includes Invites ideas, decorations, music and activities.

Here is the menu for a Record Party for 10. Sounds pretty good!

Vintage Themed Party Food ideas for Record Party from "Dig that Dish" a Vintage Cookbook from the 1960's.

Easiest recipe in the whole book….Punch for 20.

Vintage Themed Party Punch idea for a Record Party from "Dig that Dish" a Vintage Cookbook from the 1960's.

Pretty cool right?!

Before I end there was one other goodie in the box. A letter written in July 19th, 1977 from ‘Mommie’ to ‘Lenny (?) & Precy’ from Brilon in Germany. It seems that the mother is traveling visiting friends (I think) and is gone long enough that someone is sending her money and she is buying gifts to send home.

I love when I find items like this in my vintage finds, it just brings another time to life.

Question Time: Have you heard of Ruth or her cookbooks? Maybe you own one or a few. If so please share with everyone what you have in your collection.

FURTHER READING:

Vintage Food Posts from the 1920s-1960s (Archived blog posts)
Vintage Cookbooks from the 1940s & 1950s

Liz

Tag: vintage cooking

Vintage Cake Ideas As Seen Thru 1920s-1950s Ads

Vintage Cake Advertising & Recipes

1920’s-1950’s

Dig That Dish-The Coolest Vintage Recipe Book Around

Dig That Dish-Teen-Age Party Menus & Recipes For All Occasions by Ruth Chier Rosen

The Vintage Party Themes: