Do you cook or bake when you are on vacation? I don’t. Unless you count pouring almond milk over homemade granola. I will often prepare a batch of my granola before we leave but that kind of pre-baking doesn’t count. A make and take Shoofly Cake is a simple way to enjoy a homey breakfast or sweet treat without the hassle.
My mother-in-law always bakes several dozen iced sugar cookies for family vacation. She packs them in a gigantic popcorn/pretzel tin. If we are extra lucky she also makes a crumb cake. This year, with some help from aunt-in-law Lonna’s recipe box I found her mother’s recipe for Shoofly Cake! It had me at egg-free and with such few ingredients I was intrigued.
Old recipes are the best recipes, especially when it’s a eggless baked treat. When I asked friends about this cake Linda Seidel, a cookbook loving friend, not only knew about Shoofly Cake but enjoys baking it often. Linda’s recipe is tucked in a well worn and hand-noted, spiral bound St. Catherine’s Culinary Classics church cookbook.
When I mentioned this mysterious cake at a recent cooking class a gal said it was her daughter’s favorite. After growing up enjoying the cake the daughter frequently prepares it for her family. She calls it a Dry Bottom Shoofly.
The cake requires no mixer, rather two bowls and a quick stir. The batter will be wet, don’t be alarmed. You’ll also be surprised how nicely the cake rises. It is moist and keeps well for several days, which makes it ideal for traveling.
After my first bite of this cake I started dreaming of adding ginger and spice for a warming winter treat. I’m tempted to play with the flavors. This recipe begs for a bit of vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger but then it wouldn’t be Shoofly Cake, right?
I love to cook and bake but reading, resting and cocktail mixing are the passive activities I prefer when on holiday. I get it, we kitchen dwellers often feel meals we prepare are a gift. I’d like to argue that on vacation the best gift we can give is our time, relaxed disposition and the freedom of houseguests to enjoy their day without meal obligations. So make and take a Shoofly Cake. May you have safe summer vacation travels, enjoy many sunrises, sunsets and squares of Shoofly Cake.
Recipe featured in the June issue of Berks Country, Live, Love, Bake with Phoebe column. Peanut Butter Bites were another tasty recipe from my column!
- 4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
- 2 cups brown sugar
- ¾ cup butter, cubed (butter substitute for a vegan cake)
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350ºF
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, brown sugar and butter to form loose crumbs. Set aside one cup, as cake topping.
- Stir the the molasse into the water, mix in the baking soda.
- Add the molasses mixture to the flour mixture. Do not beat the batter. Mix until combined. Batter will be lumpy and thin.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cup of flour mixture. Bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool. Cut, serve, and enjoy!
I must be doing something wrong, when I made this after it appeared in the newspaper, it didn’t turn out. It was al, over my oven. I used Brer Rabbit molasses. Is there a special type of molasses you recommend? Any ideas of what I did wrong?
Hi Janbrinks, thanks for trying the recipe! I had so many folks make and love it, even sending photos. It’s a grandmother’s tried and true recipe. So let’s think…
Did you try a bite of the cake I made for the Weaver’s Orchard cooking class? That would have given you a good benchmark.
So, I’m not sure what could have gone wrong with your cake. You used a regular 9×13 baking pan (not dish)? Did you accidentally add too much baking soda (would could have possibly turned it into a science experiment)? I used Grandmother’s molasses but have used other brands too. Did you remove just one cup of the crumbs (or maybe more) to use on top?
I made a version and it sunk. Turns out I miscounted the cups of flour! It still tasted good. Sorry to hear yours invaded the oven. Let me know if you try it again.
Did you really mean 1 Tbsp of baking soda rather than 1 tsp? That seems like a lot and other recipes I’ve seen use about 1-1 1/2 tsp. That could be the problem.
Hi Laura and thank you for the question. I shared and bake the recipe as it was shared with me. I use one tablespoon, be sure to use a baking pan, not a dish. Because there are no eggs it is the acidity of the molasses, when mixed with the baking soda, that helps with the rise.