new toy!
(click on image for larger view and more photos)
We got a new toy! Well, new to us anyway.
We were riding our bikes through the neighbourhoods one Saturday morning not long ago. There were lawn sales galore. And there on one of the lawns, amongst the toys, vases, candlesticks, costume jewellery and chipped dishes, was this lovely vintage hand mixer. A “Mixall” in pretty much perfect condition. There are a few chips on the body. But otherwise, it seemed good as new. The lady of the house plugged it in to show us that it was in good running condition.
And so it was. Sturdy. Heavy. You wouldn’t believe how heavy. I almost nixed buying it because it weighs a good three pounds. But T was keen. And while I’ve always said that mixing and whisking by hand is best, I’ve also thought that a hand mixer might sometimes be, well… handy. So we bought it. For less than $5.00.
As soon as we got home, T cleaned it up and made a cake. And what a cake too!!
We usually make eggless cake. But what’s the point of that when there’s a 1940’s or 1950’s Mixall multi-speed hand mixer just waiting to be used?
T went onto the internet in search of cake recipes that called for separated eggs. I suggested he make a St. Honoré cake (see Brilynn’s Daring Bakers St. Honoré cake) but as attractive as the idea was, he nixed it and said he wanted to make chocolate cake.
He found a cake on the internet that was labelled “The Best Chocolate Cake”. It didn’t call for separated eggs but the butter, eggs and sugar had to be beaten “until light and fluffy”. I always thought that our hand whisking did that really well. But the Mixall really did the trick. Fluffy!! Incredibly fluffy!! (We really should have taken a picture!)
And was it the best chocolate cake? Darn close.
T’s note at the top of the recipe:
This seems fool proof.
Oh, oh.
Suffice it to say that I’m not sure that anyone will be making it exactly the same way next time. Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment of the Mixall best chocolate cake saga when I will post the recipe for this fabulous and amazing cake.
- The Miracle Cake (includes recipe)
- The Miracle Cake – addendum
Now THAT is a cake. I want that cake.
At Christmas one year, I had “hand mixer” on my list but I didn’t receive it from anyone so I bought my own. I was surprised to find that I was able to buy a new one, very light, for about $10–I was expecting it to be much more expensive. I use it in the summer when I have a plethora of zucchini and I make zucchini loaf (many many many zucchini loaves). My recipe says to make the eggs and sugar mixture fluffy and as you say, the mixer makes them incredibly fluffy, much fluffier (and quicker) than I can do on my own with my good whisk.
I NEEEEEED that cake.
It WAS excellent cake! Moist and chocolatey. Mmmm.
It really was great cake, MrsBrown. And now there’s none left. I NEEEEEED that cake again too….
Yes, indeed, guest, I thought it was like the best pound cake. The kind of pound cake I’ve always imaganed but never had before.
More cake, please!!
Yes, this cake was really wonderful! Particularly in light of the “unique” method which will likely be revealed on the blog soon.
Oooh, good foreshadowing, other guest. (Yes, yes, I will be posting the cake recipe soon.)
Less than 5 dollars for sure….because it actually cost $3.00.
That’s so little, if it didn’t work out it’s still a fun experiment.
- T (Waiting for the full report)
[...] In Blog From OUR Kitchen, they got a great mixer at a garage sale and made a super-fluffy cake, finding that an electric mixer works quite a bit better than a whisk. [...]