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Milky Way Cake

November 4, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

If you are following along, you mayย remember I am recreating recipes from Keiser’s Kitchen, a recipe book created by the Keiser Elementary School PTA moms in 1969. A few weeks ago, I made the Yum Yum Cake. It was delicious. If you missed it, you’ll want to goย back andย check it out.ย This week’s dish is the Milky Way Cake. With company coming for Halloweenย weekend, it sounded like the perfectย choice. Plus, I had a bag of those fun-sized Milky Ways. Whatย a great way to use up leftover Halloween candy…

Milky Way Cake oh my!

After having made only two of these vintage recipes, here’s the thing I’ve realizedโ€”the art of cooking has drastically changed. In only forty years, ingredients have evolved. Recipes are written differently. Like everything, there are trends in cooking.ย Foods go in and out of style,ย and the language of food changes.

I was reminded of the importance in handingย down recipes. These recipes are part of our family stories.

I experienced this first-hand while making the Milky Way Cake, mainly becauseย this recipe was contributed to the Keiser cookbook by my Aunt Lavern. For those of you who never knew her,ย Aunt Lavernย had a sweet, generous spirit, loved family, friends and God, and was a fabulous cook. Sheย even ownedย a little restaurant one timeโ€”her southern, down-home cooking was that good.

As I began making this cake, I imagined Aunt Lavernย mixing the batter. I remembered the smells of her comfy kitchen. Several times I wanted to ask her questions, especially while trying to get the icing toย “soft ball stage”. ย Even though myย icing boiled over onto my stove and made a huge sticky mess, the cake turned out amazing. I think sheย was helping me.

The ingredients were basic.

Milky Way Cake - basic ingredients

I am no baker, but I truly believe this isย the most beautiful icing I have ever made. It was smooth and creamy and rich like fudge.

milky way cake - best icing ever.

Ummmmm.

Look at my lovely, giddyย taste testers!

happy taste testers!

So you want the recipe, right?

Here it is…

Milky Way Cake. Heavenly.

Milky Way Cake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Milky Way candy bars
  • 1 stick oleo I used unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Milky Way Icing
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup marshmallow cream
  • 1 stick oleo I only used 1/2 stick in the icing

Method
 

  1. Melt candy bars and 1/2 stick butter. Set aside.
  2. Cream sugar and 1/2 stick butter in large bowl.
  3. Add eggs.
  4. To the sugar/egg mixture, alternatively add flour and buttermilk until mixed together.
  5. Add melted chocolate/butter mixture and mix well.
  6. Add pecans.
  7. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes or until done.
Milky Way Icing
  1. Mix sugar and milk and cook in a double boiler until soft ball stage. Add chocolate chips, marshmallow cream and butter. Stir until melted.

Notes

Candy bars in general are much larger these days. Be sure to buy "regular" sized Milky Way bars. Or two "fun-sized" bars = one regular candy bar.
In the icing, I couldn't bring myself to add an entire stick of butter so I reduced the butter to 1/2 stick. This may be why my icing was fudge-like, but I thought this was the best part!

Here’s a helpful YouTube video that explains soft ball stage…

Milky Way Cake. Heavenly.

 

Aunt Lavern (left), Nana (right)

Aunt Lavern (left), Nana (right)

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

The Church – Under the Milky Way

 

Filed Under: Food & Recipes Tagged With: chocolate, Desserts, Johnson Family, Keiser Cookbook, vintage recipe

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Comments

  1. Barbara Tate says

    November 4, 2014 at 8:15 am

    Yummmmmy!! I remember that cake well. Aunt Lavern & my Grandma Creecy may have jump-started my fat cells.

  2. Edwina says

    November 6, 2014 at 7:42 am

    I’m sure going to cook this. It looks delish.

  3. Deborah Brauser says

    November 9, 2014 at 9:18 pm

    This sounds so moist and delicious! And how wonderful to make old family recipes. I too have been doing that quite a bit lately. It truly does make it feel as if the loved one is helping out in the kitchen. ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Jewell Quesnel says

    January 27, 2016 at 12:39 pm

    I was born in Mississippi county lived there until l was 10 l was born in a log house in
    Leachville ar. We moved back to foultner county where my mother and father were
    raised I was reading the front porch and saw your article I really enjoyed your writing
    Now I will get your book

    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      January 28, 2016 at 6:19 am

      Thank you, Jewell. It’s always nice to hear from fellow Mississippi County folks. I’m glad you enjoyed my Front Porch excerpt, and I appreciate your buying the book!


Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (2022)

THE THIRD ACT OF THEO GRUENE (coming 2025)

Recent Ramblings:

  • Sunday Letter: May 25, 2025
  • Sunday Letter: May 4, 2025
  • Sunday Letter: Rainy Day Edition
  • Spiderwort: my love-hate relationship
  • Sunday Letter: March 23, 2025

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