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Syrup Platz (Cake)


This is an old family recipe - a favourite of my mother-in-law. I remember her making it often from the time I first sat at her table in 1963.
She always called it Syrup Platz, although I don't really know why since it is more a cake than a 'Platz'.

I found her hand written recipe (in German, of course) tucked into her Mennonite Treasury Cookbook. It is stained and yellowed and so typical of how her generation preserved recipes.
On the side she has noted a couple of forgotten ingredients... salt - no amount given, cloves - a little.
The bake time and oven temperature are written across the top. No method instructions.

I know today our recipes are so neatly electronically saved, but I wonder if in future years our descendants will have the same emotional connection to them that I have when I hold my mother-in-law's recipe in my hand.

Syrup Platz Cake
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup syrup (always made with Roger's Golden Syrup - only available in Canada - but corn syrup would work as well)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  1. Beat eggs with brown sugar
  2. Add syrup, oil, buttermilk beating until smooth
  3. Add blended dry ingredients and hand mix until smooth
  4. Turn into a 9x13" baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top springs back. (do not over bake as it tends to turn too brown on the bottom)
  5. Wonderful with a dollop of whipped cream or ice-cream - serve warm or cold.
  6. Freezes well.

24 comments:

  1. I sure wonder about the origin of Rogers Golden Syrup. Did the creators of that product happen to be Mennonite? Because I am sure that all Canadian Mennonites used to and still do have this in their pantry. Our family used it on scrambled eggs (and now my kids do too) but the favourite use was on a fresh, homemade slice of bread with butter. I also remember my relatives that came to visit us from the US, would always bring it back home with them. I love your MIL stained recipe! Good memories!!

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  2. Instantly, upon laying my eyes on that old, hand-written recipe my heart almost gave a lurch...and was filled to the brim with emotion! I still have a number of such recipes tucked into my Mennonite Treasury and I certainly treasure them - they are priceless. Such warm memories and love toward my mom who has been gone for many years....

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  3. Hei!Was?Familie Rezepte?Dann muss ganz guuut!sein...!!!hihi.Wie gehts Euch?Schöne Advent Zeit für Euch.Alias wir haben immer Advent in uns drin nicht wahr?Bussi.Lu.

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  4. I have some of those recipes written by my Gramma. I can almost feel her warmth when I look at them.

    Bev in Langley

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  5. Good morning! These hand written recipes like my grandma's do bring back wonderful memories. Aren't all old Mennonite recipe directions to "mix in usual manner, bake in moderate oven until done"? I do have a question, is the sauce you've got drizzled on top more Rogers syrup? Thanks!

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  6. Dear Anonymous... you guessed it.. yes.. it is more Roger's Syrup drizzled over the top ! smile

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  7. Julie, my great aunt gave me a "syrups's Platz recipe at my bridal shower, with a tiny little vile of "gewurz" spice, which I had no clue what it was then and have long used it up thinking I could not make this again with out the spice mixture. Now thanks to your recipe I can try it again, I have such fond memories of having that cake as a child.


    by the way, that hand written recipe should be framed and hung in your kitchen!

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  8. I love the flavour that Roger's syrup adds to baking. I will be trying this for sure.
    I was given a hand written recipe from each aunt and cousin at my bridal shower many years ago. So much love was written into those index cards.

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  9. I'm running to my printer with this one. Had some girls in the B&B from your hometown and they shared a recipe with me and that is how I found you, over a recipe. Love baking at this time of year

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  10. My mum's recipes look the same. I love them. So many memories of my mum who has died a few years ago.

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  11. This is a platz I grew up with. I will definitely be making it this weekend. Thanks!!

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  12. Your 'recipe card' is my favorite! An old wrinkled,handwritten, stained and yellowing piece of paper, proving that it was a much used and favorite recipe. Those are keepers for sure!

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  13. This recipe is almost identical to my mom's! She used Roger's Golden Syrup as well, but my Oma would often cook her own syrup with watermelon juice and use that in the recipe. Loved seeing the original handwriting - all the old Mennonite ladies wrote like that!

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  14. The name is a bit of a mystery to me as well!? But the memories of my Oma's syrups platz are warm and comforting. I loved this cake as a child and can't wait to try this recipe.

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  15. Wow, as soon as I saw this recipe I thoughht of my Oma and the old farm house. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes so we can keep traditions alive.

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  16. Great post jUlie, tying us back to our mom,s. I just received two more hand written cards from my MIL last night and yes, it,s wonderful to treasure them.

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  18. In the US, we can purchase Lyle's Golden Syrup from the UK ... it looks a similar product.

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  19. Is Rogers Golden Syrup the same as the Golden Syrup that we use all the time in Australia. It probably doesn't matter, I might try it anyway!!

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  20. Joluise .. it probably is the same so it should work just fine !

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  21. I just love Rogers Golden Syrup! When everyone else is eating real Maple Syrup...I only want Rogers.:) Sounds like a wonderful recipe, thanks for sharing it with us.

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  22. I think this looks wonderful - at this time of year when homemade gifts for friends and family can be complicated and time consuming, it's nice to have something simple and sweet to share with those that share your table.
    I also think the name might be due to the fact that the cake is baked in a square or rectangular pan - platz is German for square.

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  23. It is so important to write recipes down! I have some cards with my great grandmother's handwriting on them that I treasure. While I love the availability of every recipe imaginable online once something has been determined a favorite or made many times it goes on to a card. If anything were to happen to me I would want this information to be available for my children so they can bake for their children someday.

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  24. You had me at "Roger's Golden Syrup".

    Also, I am a big fan of making copies and/or taking pictures of the actual recipe cards. Reading the actual handwriting of our loved one's recipes just makes it that much better. I am a sentimental person, and treasure the little things like my grandmother's handwriting.

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