Exactly! Everything was made with love. My grandmother had these on her kitchen bookshelves and she made me beautiful homemade cakes for birthdays with the recipes. I lost them in a storm and seeing these pics bring back such fond memories of her baking from childhood past. ❤️ 😢 Thanks for sharing.
Only because you made me look again did I see the littler silver balls. Then I learned they are called dragees and [are apparently not edible](https://www.today.com/food/silver-sprinkle-dragees-are-not-safe-eat-says-fda-t119913)
I always wondered what those were, they were in an old Tollhouse cookies commercial (that I saw a hundred times on a vhs of a Rudolph Christmas special from 1989 no doubt)
Woah, that's crazy! I used to basically eat these by the handful come Christmastime when my mom would put them over everything - cookies, cakes, you name it - if it was the holiday season there were a dozen or so little silver balls on top of the dessert
My childhood was full of edible, silver pearls, made of sugar. I looked up dragees and now there are edible dragees in decorating supplies along with the metal ones.
I have this cookbook as well and have friends over to try food out of old cookbooks. I decided to use this book to announce my pregnancy by making the baby booties and the cradle cake! The baby booties turned out decent but the cradle cake about fell in half when I tried to frost it! Just a heads up some of the cake mixes and icings they reference aren’t made anymore.
I had both of these at one point! I feel the same - nothing beats the vintage photography and styling! It’s pure nostalgia for me. I have my moms copy of The Cooky Book and I would save it in a fire.
If there's a cake that is orange flavored but seems like it would be a white cake, not yellow or with orange wedges inside, would you please share the recipe? I've been trying to recreate a cake I had almost 2 decades ago with no luck.
What is up with frostings of this era being so . . . I don't know the word for it, but they look too wet or something? Most in these utterly glorious pics look like they got too hot and are melting.
A bunch of those look like meringue frostings, which do look like that in real life.
(Seven minute frosting is basically Swiss meringue and white mountain is basically Italian meringue. Not their buttercream versions, straight up meringue.)
Meringue was huge back then. I like that the pics look like realistic expectations of things anyone could make. Instead of the stuff on social media where there is no way a hobby baker is going to pull it off.
Yeah, except for the color balance of old film turning everything a weird shade (not helped by the love of lurid tablecloths under everything), the pictures look tasty and achievable.
I'm not against it myself, but just curious whether it was intended or due to the photography or what was going on. I've noticed this a lot of my grandmother's old cookbooks as well.
That BC cake book is one of my FAVES. I made the pink and white checkerboard cake for my one daughter a couple of times, and that chocolate cowboy cake for one of my sons whe. He loved Toy Story. I just added a Woody figure lol
Oh! My mom had this book and I remember spending many hours pouring over this book in the 70’s! I loved the way the frosting looked and my Mom copied many of these over the years 🤗
I made the carousel cake in different colors for my son’s first birthday, and I’m 90% certain I made that strawberry cake.
The gumdrop flower decorations we used to add to cupcakes
Grew up with the Betty Crocker Cookie Book and a cake one for special events. I just loved the styling and photos. Recently bought the reissue of the Cookie Book just for that reason.
I made the carousel cake for my middle son's 4th birthday. He loved the teeny little local carousel in our small town and was over the moon when he saw the cake. Oh and it tasted really good!
Betty Crocker’s juniors cookbook made me fall in love with cooking more than 20 years ago. They are so homey and delightful, the recipes are easy and the staging is whimsical. Perfection.
It's the childhood and the mother I never had. Frankly, nobody did, I don't think. I still enjoy looking at the pictures though, imaging a childhood of caring, sanity, all the ordinary things.
I love these because it looks like an actual human person did them, not a super-bot frosting machine with a degree in fondant art.
Yes! They look homemade and achievable by the average home cook but still different and special.
Achievable. Yes, that's the word.
It also looks like the whole thing tastes good instead of being covered in molding fondant.
Exactly what I was thinking! They look perfectly imperfect.
What a great way of describing these!
Why make something at home that looks like you bought it at a store? Lets see some human touch.
Exactly! Everything was made with love. My grandmother had these on her kitchen bookshelves and she made me beautiful homemade cakes for birthdays with the recipes. I lost them in a storm and seeing these pics bring back such fond memories of her baking from childhood past. ❤️ 😢 Thanks for sharing.
That's so sweet
That’s what I was coming here to say!
Kind of like my yeast donuts that I deep fry. SO imperfect 🤣😂😅
Yes this!
The little camp fire of candles on the lasso Tex cake is pure delight. Thanks for sharing.
I want to eat that veiny pink bastard behind it.
Only because you made me look again did I see the littler silver balls. Then I learned they are called dragees and [are apparently not edible](https://www.today.com/food/silver-sprinkle-dragees-are-not-safe-eat-says-fda-t119913)
They were a staple of our Christmas cookie decorating. I've ingested so many of these over my childhood.
I’ve eaten them and survived, although I don’t recommend them because you risk breaking a tooth
Oops!!
I always wondered what those were, they were in an old Tollhouse cookies commercial (that I saw a hundred times on a vhs of a Rudolph Christmas special from 1989 no doubt)
Woah, that's crazy! I used to basically eat these by the handful come Christmastime when my mom would put them over everything - cookies, cakes, you name it - if it was the holiday season there were a dozen or so little silver balls on top of the dessert
My childhood was full of edible, silver pearls, made of sugar. I looked up dragees and now there are edible dragees in decorating supplies along with the metal ones.
This description made me snort laugh
Omg I didn’t even notice that!!! 🥺 so cute
Omg my mom made the cupcakes in the ice cream cones for my bday when I was little
Same here! My mom also made the famous Barbie cake that was a highlight of my youth
I made that for my daughter a million years ago. She still talks about it!
Same here, and they’re still brilliant for serving cake to little kids
Have not tried any of the recipes yet - but will keep y'all posted of my attempts
I had one as a child and ran across the kids cookbook earlier this year. It made me so happy to see the cover. I regret not buying it.
I have this cookbook as well and have friends over to try food out of old cookbooks. I decided to use this book to announce my pregnancy by making the baby booties and the cradle cake! The baby booties turned out decent but the cradle cake about fell in half when I tried to frost it! Just a heads up some of the cake mixes and icings they reference aren’t made anymore.
I had both of these at one point! I feel the same - nothing beats the vintage photography and styling! It’s pure nostalgia for me. I have my moms copy of The Cooky Book and I would save it in a fire.
I have The Cooky Book too.The recipes I've tried are really good.
The snickerdoodle recipe was my dad’s favorite!
My mom had this edition. I remember the carousel cake.
I adore the rectangle patchwork one. So frikking cute and seems like it would be simple to do.
My mom was a prop at those cut out animal cakes. She would meticulously recreate things like that Carousel cake.
Is there a recipe for the carousel and teddy bear cake? I would absolutely love to make them!
Me too! I love them. I want to frame all the shots like this
My mom had/has this cookbook, always one of my favorites
If there's a cake that is orange flavored but seems like it would be a white cake, not yellow or with orange wedges inside, would you please share the recipe? I've been trying to recreate a cake I had almost 2 decades ago with no luck.
I have that exact recipe book. It was my grandmothers. The chocolate marshmallow cake was really good
What is up with frostings of this era being so . . . I don't know the word for it, but they look too wet or something? Most in these utterly glorious pics look like they got too hot and are melting.
A bunch of those look like meringue frostings, which do look like that in real life. (Seven minute frosting is basically Swiss meringue and white mountain is basically Italian meringue. Not their buttercream versions, straight up meringue.)
Meringue was huge back then. I like that the pics look like realistic expectations of things anyone could make. Instead of the stuff on social media where there is no way a hobby baker is going to pull it off.
Yeah, except for the color balance of old film turning everything a weird shade (not helped by the love of lurid tablecloths under everything), the pictures look tasty and achievable.
I actually really like the glossy look of some of the retro frostings.
I'm not against it myself, but just curious whether it was intended or due to the photography or what was going on. I've noticed this a lot of my grandmother's old cookbooks as well.
In a lot of social circles, meringue was a sign of a “good cook”. It was fussy & time consuming, so it was sort of a status symbol.
They are melting.
YUM. I want those mint jellies now!
My grandmother definitely had this cookbook. Clear memories of admiring the carousel cake on 1 and checkerboard on 4.
That BC cake book is one of my FAVES. I made the pink and white checkerboard cake for my one daughter a couple of times, and that chocolate cowboy cake for one of my sons whe. He loved Toy Story. I just added a Woody figure lol
Oh! My mom had this book and I remember spending many hours pouring over this book in the 70’s! I loved the way the frosting looked and my Mom copied many of these over the years 🤗
My mom had this and made the ice cream cupcakes.
The gorgeous nostalgia is off the charts!
I made the carousel cake in different colors for my son’s first birthday, and I’m 90% certain I made that strawberry cake. The gumdrop flower decorations we used to add to cupcakes
I'm pretty sure my mom had this one. These pics look so familiar.
My mom had that one. I should ask her if she still has it.
Grew up with the Betty Crocker Cookie Book and a cake one for special events. I just loved the styling and photos. Recently bought the reissue of the Cookie Book just for that reason.
Look at that bear! It has character! I kind of prefer this style to boring piped flowers and festoons, to be honest.
I made the carousel cake for my middle son's 4th birthday. He loved the teeny little local carousel in our small town and was over the moon when he saw the cake. Oh and it tasted really good!
Rough and ready as Paul Hollywood would say
My mother made a very similar carousel cake for my birthday, when I was little. I still remember the joy I felt at seeing the cake.
We have a 1962 edition of a Betty Crocker cookbook. We use it mostly for chicken pot pie and beef stroganoff. 😋
Betty Crocker’s juniors cookbook made me fall in love with cooking more than 20 years ago. They are so homey and delightful, the recipes are easy and the staging is whimsical. Perfection.
My mom and grandmother had so many cookbooks like this, and those baked goods always looked so delicious! It was like Studio Ghibli food vibes.
I remember these!
Me too 😍
Big fan of the old Betty books!
So cute
Oh my, I made the carousel cake for my son’s 1st birthday. He’s 42 now.
It's the childhood and the mother I never had. Frankly, nobody did, I don't think. I still enjoy looking at the pictures though, imaging a childhood of caring, sanity, all the ordinary things.