Farmer’s daughter cake is a simple 8-inch square vanilla cake topped coated in chocolate frosting. The cake recipe uses heavy cream instead of butter, so it is easy to make. This simple cake for a small gathering or for when you are craving a little something sweet.
This whipping cream cake is simple but really good. The cake has no butter or oil in it, just cream. Perhaps it was a dairy farmer’s daughter who created it!
The fudge frosting is a great pour over frosting that tops it off just right. It’s smaller size and tasty combination is sure to work its way into your heart.
This recipe for Farmer’s Daughter Cake has had a life of it’s own ever since I posted it in September of 2016. So I figured it was high time I updated the pictures and add a video.
This simple cake is great because it makes a nice small square cake. Plus there’s the fudgy frosting!
You make it in a saucepan, let it cool for a while and then pour it over. That is if you don’t eat it with a spoon first.
It reminds me a lot of a chocolate pudding only thicker. As it cools, it sets up nicely on the cake for a tasty pairing.
When choosing a recipe to make from Maida’s Cake Book, this one definitely stood out and I knew I had to make it.
The ingredients are simple, which is always nice. It is also a great size, making a one layer square cake.
So, you don’t have to have a crowd to justify making one. And there is no pressure to layer and decorate a masterpiece.
I don’t actually have a square cake pan. It’s hard to believe, I know. But I did have a square glass casserole dish. Had this cake been a layered cake, the hard edges would have been more important.
But I figured in this case with one layer and a more rustic feel to start with the rounded edges of the casserole pan would work fine. In the end I actually liked the rounded look, but again would not recommend using a pan like this if I were stacking.
Tips for Making the Chocolate Icing
The chocolate icing can be a little hard to deal with. Maida made it clear that you had to pour very slowly or you’d end up with a cake in a pool of frosting. She wasn’t kidding!
The first time I made the cake, I thought I was working slowly enough and the next thing I knew there was frosting pooled around the cake. Luckily I had rimmed the cake with wax paper strips.
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I just spooned a bit of the frosting at a time back onto the cake until it mostly stayed put. Other than that, I really liked the frosting.
It did form a skin as time went on and the cake traveled fine to dinner. But when you cut into the cake, the inside of the frosting was still super soft and moist.
It was almost like a thick chocolate pudding. It went really well with the cake.
As you can see though, if you let the frosting cool completely, it actually works quite nicely. Just check out the video to see how easy it can be!
More Smaller Sized Cake Recipes
If you like the idea of making a smaller sized cake, I have a few more recipes for you to try. These will give you a great dessert option for a smaller group or just for your family without having a ton leftover.
Chocolate mayonnaise cake is rich and delicious. This recipe makes a one layer round cake with some fluffy chocolate frosting on top.
For a fruitier option, try making caramel apple upside down cake. We usually make it in a cast iron skillet, but you could also make it in a 9-inch cake pan.
Or make a coffee pound cake in a loaf pan. You can serve it as it is with a dollop of whipped cream or make a quick powdered sugar glaze to drizzle over it if you prefer.
If you are a frosting fanatic like me, check out my Frosting 101. It goes through the different types of frosting and links to all sorts of delicious recipes!
Whipping Cream Cake With Chocolate Icing
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Icing
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
- ½ cup cold milk
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 Tablespoon butter generous
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease and flour an 8x8x2 pan. (I usually use the spray with the flour in it)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl, or your mixer, beat together the eggs, vanilla & almond extracts and sugar until combined.2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add the cream and mix until incorporated.1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Stir in the dry ingredients, beating just until smooth.
- Pour into prepared pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean. (Maida warns that the top may dome, but will flatten and that is may crack and that is ok.)
- Let cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, place upside down on a cake plate so that you have a flat surface on top.
- Icing
- In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, stir together milk and sugar. Add chocolate and heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Be sure to stir frequently as you go. Remove from heat.½ cup cold milk, 1⅓ cups granulated sugar, 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
- In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks just enough to break them up. Gently temper with a bit of warm chocolate mixture. (I added a few Tablespoons of chocolate mixture and beat vigorously then repeat the process to temper the yolks and keep them from scrambling in the hot chocolate mixture.) Then add egg yolks to the remaining chocolate mixture, beating to combine.2 egg yolks
- Warm the chocolate mixture over low heat, whisking constantly, for one minute. (Mine stayed pretty smooth, but Maida warns that it may not and you should forge on anyway.)
- Transfer chocolate mixture to the bowl of your mixer and stir in the butter and vanilla. Let stand until cool. This may take a while, but I put mine in the refrigerator for a bit to hasten the process.1 Tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Beat the icing at high speed for 10-15 minutes. It should be smooth, shiny and about the consistency of corn syrup.
- Be sure to place wax paper strips under you cake as this icing can get messy if you are like me and are short on patience!
- Pour about half of the icing on the cake and then step back for a minute or so. Then continue to pour the icing just a bit at a time onto the center of the cake. If you poor too quickly, all of the frosting will run down the sides. Gently coax the frosting with a spatula if it needs help going in a certain direction.
- If you went slowly enough, the frosting should have stayed mostly in place. If not, just scoop the large puddles off the wax paper and place back on the center of the cake until most of the frosting is on the cake. Carefully remove wax paper strips.
- Let the cake sit for a couple of hours so the icing sets.
Video
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HI – There are only of us – retired seniors. When I saw this recipe for a one layer cake w/o oil or butter I knew I had to make it. SO i did and it’s a keeper. I used my grandmother’s recipe for fudge frosting though. Thank you for sharing a recipe for those of us who no longer have large families. Judi G. Asheville NC
I am glad you liked it!
So happy to have found your recipe! I am going to make the cake without the frosting and serve it with fresh strawberries and whipped cream!
That sounds delicious!
I will try this cake once I buy the cream . I am going to leave it in the pan and pour icing over it and let it set. No need to take cake out of pan to ice for the two of us at home. My square cake pan has a lid that fits on it for storage . Thanks for sharing the recipe
That will be perfect and no worries about the icing consistency then either. I hope you love it!
This is almost an exact replica of a cake my mother used to make but she called it a "Cream Cake". Of course, we lived on a farm so the cream and eggs were fresh!!
Thanks for this.
YAY! I am so glad it brings back good memories for you. Nothing beats eggs and cream that are that fresh!
My favorite kind of cake. Chocolate frosting is the best!
It is definitely up there!
Love this cake! Cannot wait to make it!
I hope you enjoy it!
I will be excited to try a cake that uses cream in and no butter. I imagine it will be a moist and slightly different cake from the usual. I have to locate a pan the correct size. I am away from home, so I don't have access to my own pans. With the ingredients listed I will make every effort to make this ASAP
I hope you love it! It has to be hard being away from your own pans. A round pan will work great as well.
I really want to reach in with my fork and take a big bite of this gorgeous cake! I made it a feature at the Whimsical Wednesdays Link Party this week. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
Help yourself to a bite! Thank you!
Made this cake today. It was done in 29 minutes rather than the 35-40. The only thing about making it is it isn’t difficult, just time consuming due to the cooling the frosting and then beating for 10-15 more minutes. Everything went really well, looked great and the frosting presented no problem. The frosting is absolutely wonderful. Cake was very dry. I was so disappointed in that. It is a great size as it’s just my husband and me.
I went back over the recipe and didn’t see anything I missed. Any suggestions?
As a side, I know people mean well, but I wish more would make the recipes and comment
I wish they would too! The comments are really helpful for improvement. The only thing I can think of is different measuring style when measuring the flour. The recipe itself was taken from Maida Heatter who was known as the queen of cakes. My only tip would be, I always like to stir in a Tablespoon or two or yogurt or sour cream into my cakes where it makes sense. That may help here as well. Thanks for the feedback!