Maitland Baked and Ham Supper

It's hard not to like what you get at this supper. Sadly, no pictures to share for this report. I am still kicking myself for not having it with me!

We passed by the Maitland hall ~3:30, and the hardcore locals were already lined up in the parking lot! After running a bunch of errands, we hit the supper on the trip back home. It was not as packed as we anticipated, with only about half of the seats occupied. Usually this supper is packed to the rafters, so not sure what else was going on that afternoon.

We sat right in front of a gorgeous table cake, complete with white icing dripping over the sides of the cake like soap suds running down the side of a car. There were several yummy side dishes on the table including: pickled beets, bread and butter pickles, coleslaw, an amazing broccoli salad and a vinegar based coleslaw (sans mayonnaise).

I chose ham as my option, but I realized later I could have had ham AND a weiner! Oh well, Lisa was kind enough to give me a bite of hers. Dinner was pretty standard. Dark, molasses-y baked beans, really good scalloped potatoes and good 'ole picnic ham. The bread basket was brimming with oatmeal bread, molasses brown bread, cheese rolls, pillsbury crescent type thingees and your standard dinner roll.

The 'tea guy' was absent from this dinner, I neglected to find out why. He's pretty much a fixture at these events, I hope he's okay. I managed to drink about 6 cups of their fine black tea elixir!

The highlight of the dinner were our dining neighbours. We sat next to a rowdy bunch of grannies and it was great! They weren't shy to ask for what they wanted,

"Now, I KNOW there's a cherry cake back there somewhere." probably because she baked it!
"WHERE did that chocolate cake go?"

Our resident table cake was the subject of lots of discussion:

"Are those raisins or chocolate chips?"
"I think they are raisins.."
"Oh, I don't care for raisins, must be a spice cake..."
"My father used to tell me that my mom would sweep dead flies in to my raisin box." Nice...

We kept getting prodded to take a slice of the cake, but eventually a nearby diner took the plunge. It was spice cake on the outside and a yellow cake on the inside:

"Ohhhh, it's a Tom and Jerry cake!"
"Yup, it's a Tom and Jerry cake..."

After my INCREDIBLE slice of custard pie (did I mention it was incredible?), I managed to scarf down a piece of the Tom and Jerry cake. The cherry cake further down the table had me looking, but there was 'no room at the inn', in my stomach!

Wow, I still want another slice of that custard pie!

Update! Here's a recipe for what looks like the same Tom & Jerry Cake:

Recipe for Tom and Jerry Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
3 cups unbleached flour
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Angel Food Cake Pan

For 1st Bowl

In large bowl, mix the above ingredients with a wooden spoon.
Mix till smooth. You can use a hand mixer if you wish.
I have never made this with an electric mixer, so I cannot tell
you how the cake comes out.

Get another large bowl, and place 1/2 the batter into it. bowl.
Ingredients for the second bowl:
3 tablespoons Grandmas Molasses
1 teaspoon cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups of raisins, which have been dusted with flour.
Mix all together with wooden spoon or hand mixer.

Place the mixture in the second bowl (the darker mixture)
into a greased and lightly floured Angel Food Cake Pan.
Now, pour the 1st bowl of light batter on top of the dark batter.
Place in a 350 degree oven for about 50-60 minutes.
Remove from pan when warm. You may use powdered sugar on top.

Old recipe by George J. Drolet, from
The Yankee Kitchen Cookbook 1969