Made in Canada Cake

I have come across a few historical desserts with Canadiana names: Parliament Pie, Toronto Cake, and Brown George Cake. The 1911 Canadian Farm Cook Book has recipes from across the country, including this simple cake that would be great for a picnic or potluck. This recipe is from "Mrs. Guy Simmonds, Wilton, Lennox Co., Ont." Since this is a Made in Canada Cake with walnuts we also included maple syrup in the icing.

Cake

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

[Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt]

Icing

8 ounces butter

9 ounces icing sugar

1 tablespoon sweet cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar in the usual way [in a medium-sized bowl].

[Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix well. Combine flour and baking powder. Add flour in three stages to the butter and sugar, alternating with milk in two stages, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing each time until just combined.]

Bake in a large flat tin [for 30 minutes]. When cold, cut in small squares and cover on five sides [we only iced the top of each square] with the following icing:

Butter the size of a large egg [8 oz], cream and add as much sugar as will cream in well, then add sweet cream [we omitted whipping cream], sweetened and a little vanilla, [and maple syrup] until the proper stiffness has been obtained and ice the squares and roll in chopped walnuts.