Cup Cakes with Marshmallow Frosting

From "Rumford Common Sense Cookbook," Lily Haxworth Wallace. For the Department of Home Economics of the Rumford Company, Rumford, Rhode Island.

I used to work with someone who would put on her Nonni's (Italian grandmother) hat when she was going to clean her house. It made her more industrious (like her Nonni). She told me about this when I admitted that the way I got my own house clean was to fix myself a frozen margarita and pretend I was my own cleaning person. I paid myself at the end of my cleaning session.

These two stories are related to these two recipes because of their origin. They're from a very old, very quaint cookbooklet circa 1920. There's no publication date in the booklet, but I'm making the assumption based on the illustration and the instructions for baking by temperature: "For the benefit of housewives who follow the new method of temperature cooking, and for those who wish to learn how, the following table is given." My guess is that people were still using wood stoves for cooking during this transition period and had used wisdom and expertise vs. relying on the stove science of selecting a cooking temperature. In some ways, we all still rely on wisdom and expertise with our own stoves. I know that my over cooks low (below the selected temperature) and that my stove burners cook hot.

When I prepare these recipes, I like to imagine how early 20th Century bakers might have done things, for whom or what occasion they might have prepared these cupcakes, how those newfangled stoves worked. I have not, however, prepared this recipe while drinking a margarita. Too many eggs to deal with (requires all my faculties).

Note that the cupcakes will be much denser (and, I think, more flavorful) than the cakes we're used to in this century. The crust will be a little tougher as well, so keep an eye on them while they bake (you can't get away with over-baking even a little bit with this recipe).

Cup Cakes
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2/3 teaspoon flavoring (I used vanilla)
1 1/2 cups flour (I used Softasilk cake flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Rumford Baking Powder (don't even try - they don't make it anymore!)

Cream the shortening, add the sugar gradually and beat well. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks and add these to the first mixture. Then put in the milk and flavoring alternately with the sifted dry ingredients. Lastly fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Half fill greased cup cake pans [I ALWAYS use cup cake liners] and bake about twenty minutes in a moderately hot oven - 375-400 degrees [I went with 375]. Serve plain or frost with any desired frosting.

Marshmallow Frosting
1/3 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cook the water, sugar and cream of tartar rapidly to the soft ball stage - 238 degrees F. While the syrup is boiling, occasionally remove with a small damp brush the drops with gather on the sides of the saucepan.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and dry. Pour the syrup very slowly over them, beating while pouring and continue the beating until cool, adding the vanilla while beating.

NOTE: This frosting is very "wet" (aka gooey, not stiff). I added some powdered sugar to create a stiffer consistency. If you do this, add small amount of the powdered sugar and wait five minutes - the frosting becomes stiffer with time.