Aunt Sue sent out an email last week asking if anyone had the Loam Cake recipe. Although I have never made it, I knew I had the recipe simply because of the name. I rushed over to the laptop, uploaded a picture of the recipe card and sent it off. I also asked her if there were any Loam Cake stories she would share.
Before I got a response from Aunt Sue, I saw that Theresa uploaded a picture of the Loam Cake to facebook. The picture was so good I asked her if I could use it in this post, and she happily obliged.
Later, I got a response from her. The Loam Cake was a hit! Seconds all around! They served it plain, or with a dollop of fresh Whipped Cream - maple syrup flavored. She and Aunt Joan made this cake in the 1970s in Nonna's kitchen. The origin of the recipe is unknown. Loam Cake may have been a late 70s tear-off recipe carried at The Sunspot published by Natural Recipes of Boston (later known as Natural Messages) - calling for Whole Wheat Flour might be a big clue there. Aunt Sue and Uncle Lee also searched the internet and came up empty handed.
This post is a true family effort, just what I wanted this blog to be!
A couple of cooks notes:
Aunt Sue did not have an 8" baking pan, so they used a 9" baking pan - 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Also, she does not recall ever making the Maple Frosting recipe mentioned on the card, for the Loam Cake or otherwise.
Printable recipe
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cold water or applesauce
Mix dry ingredients together or sift directly into an ungreased 8" cake pan. Make three holes in mixture. Pour oil in one hole, vinegar in another and vanilla in third. Pour cold water or applesauce over all. Stir with a fork until evenly blended. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Serve as is or with maple frosting.
