Mennonite Girls Can Cook is a collection of recipes which were posted daily for a period of ten years from 2008 to 2018. We have over 3,000 delicious recipes that we invite you to try. The recipes can be accessed in our recipe file by category or you can use the search engine.

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Cake of Genoa with Buttercream Frosting


This cake can be served simply or made into a special cake with garnishes. 

  • 1 cup of eggs (about 5)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Prepare two 8 inch pans or one 5 inch springform pan by greasing and lining with parchment paper. 
  3. Beat the eggs until light and fluffy.
  4. Gradually add the sugar, salt and vanilla.
  5. Beat until thick and lemon colored.
  6. Gently fold in the flour, 2 tablespoons at a time.
  7. Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick. 
  8. Cool in pan.
  9. Split cake into layers.
  10. The recipe calls for Butter Cream between all the layers and then icing the outside the same. I whipped heavy cream, added a bit of sugar and used some Whip it to stabilize the cream and spread the whipped cream between the layers.
Butter Cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 eggs or 6 egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup very soft butter
  1. Combine the sugar and the cornstarch in a large microwave safe bowl.
  2. Add the eggs or egg yolks. Beat until fluffy.
  3. Stir in the milk.
  4. Put in the microwave and heat for one minute at a time, stirring well after each minute.
  5. Continue to heat until thick.
  6. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla
  7. Cover with plastic wrap right on the surface of the custard
  8. Allow to come to room temperature. Make sure it is completely cool. Stir well.
  9. Add the softened butter, until smooth and combined.
  10. Cool a little till perfect spreading consistency.
  11. Decorate your cake as you please. I spread melted chocolate onto parchment paper. . very thinly, put it in the fridge for a day or two, and then rolled it up and allowed the chocolate to fall into a zip loc bag to create chocolate shavings, big and small.
  12. Garnish with toasted almonds. 

14 comments:

  1. That cake really is a thing of beauty! Wow! Perfectly done!

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  2. I knew I would find the perfect recipe here this morning. Just the right cake to warm my cold kitchen. My husband's going to be so happy!
    Jo

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  3. My birthday was yesterday and I was determined to have a birthday cake this year....but still didn't get one! So I may need to MAKE one and use this recipe! I'm sure it would be amazing..as are all your dishes!

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  4. It really was a very special cake...and good to the last crumb! Was I not the lucky one...to just happen to meet up with Lovella on my birthday? And here's the thing...it actually serves six...plus. And now I'm off to find a teeny springform pan...and I'll be making this cake in my kitchen sometime soon. I already have the perfect cake plate...domed lid and all. Thanks, Lovella!

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  5. It's beautiful! Your instructions are so much more helful and encouraging than "the recipe book".
    The buttercream icing sounds delicious! I will need to check out my pans.

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  6. It's beautiful, I bet it tastes wonderful also, I am impressed I may have to try this work of art....Barb

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  7. It truly is a work of art and it could not taste any better. The only thing is, I wanted seconds.....
    But I will be digging up this recipe for this Sunday...it's another birthday in this house.
    I thought it tasted like Frankfurter Kranz Torte. Yummy. John's mother used to make one so similiar.

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  8. So pretty!!!! I have the pan the pedastal and people I love to bake for. This will be a keeper. Kathy

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  9. Oh my Lovella I would have never thought this recipe could be such a gorgeous cake..like you said the pictures tell all. When I see a recipe without a picture it is not so tempting..then again that may not be such a bad thing sometimes!! grin

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  10. Absolutely beautiful,Lovella. I'll be trying this next time I need a cake.

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  11. Oh my Lovella...once again you have made something beautiful...in pictures and I am sure in taste. It makes me want to go through all the recipes in that old recipe book and create the pictures that should go with it.

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  12. I've made this exact cake for years and baked it in 2 round cake pans. Then sliced each cake in two. I divided the butter cream filling into 4 parts and filled each layer with the butter cream filling (3 layers) and iced the sides with the filling as well. Then iced the top using a chocolate icing. My grandson calls this cake my donut cake because it reminds him of the cream filled donuts you can buy :)

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  13. I pulled out my Mennonite Treasury of Recipes to make this cake today for my dad-in-love's 94th BD party and thought "wonder if Lovella's blog has a recipe to compare?" Imagine my surprise when you referred to the exact same recipe! Guess I can't go wrong! This has been my mother's go-to cake for decades - birthdays, special occasions - and always a hit! (see Hedy, who I see has also found this recipe here.)Thanks for the chocolate shavings tip. I plan on trying it right away as it will definitely save my knuckles :)

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