Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Noboday Bakes a Cake...




...as tasty as a Tastykake!



If you are from anywhere near Philadelphia that's a jingle you've heard for probably your entire life. Last week I wound my way through a random facts meme and ended up with hoagies and cheesesteaks. It reminded me of my favorite Philly area food tradition. Tastykakes!

The rest of the country may munch on Little Debbie Pies and Hostess Snack Cakes. When I want to clog my arteries and rot my teeth with some mass produced baked good I will run for a Peanut Butter Kandy Kake every time, or a Chocolate Junior, or if I am really in a pinch I may consider a Butterscotch Krimpet.

Tastykake is a Philadelphia tradition since 1914 when the bakery first opened. Since 1922 most of the baking has taken place at a facility right in Philadelphia. In recent years there was talk of relocating the major operations away from the city in order to allow an expansion of operations. Philadelphians were in an uproar. This past May it was announced the company would indeed relocate but instead of leaving Philly they'd be moving to the Navy Yard. This is a win/win for both the Navy Yard, which was shut down by the Defense Department in 1996, and for the Tasty Baking Company as it seeks to grow...not to mention all the local and loyal lovers of Tastykakes in Philadelphia.

No, I am not being paid to advertise for TatstyKakes. I just love them that much. How much? Well, when I was pregnant in Trinidad and enduring all manner of horrendous food cravings my father came to visit. He asked if there was anything he could bring for me. I told him he needed to have a collection of Italian cheeses and seasonings so I could make a lasagna, a bag of Doritos, and a box of Peanut Butter Tastykakes. I also warned him that Mr. Lime was under orders to put him on the next plane back to the USA if he failed to carry these items with him. Dad did not disappoint. I mean just look at the peanut buttery, chocolatey happiness! Mmmmmm

I will tell you, all the images I've used here have been taken from the Tastykake website. You can order their items if you wish to indulge in the yumminess that is Tastykake. Upon my return to the US I was also graced with a lovely little recipe which produces a reasonable facsimile of my beloved Peanut Butter Tastykakes. So if you want to taste them but not deal with mail order give this a try. I don't remember who gave me the recipe or I would credit and bless them here and now.

Tandy Take Cake (tandy take is the old name for PB candy cakes)

4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
8 oz Hershey bar (another PA favorite)
1 cup peanut butter

-Beat eggs until thick and lemony.
-Gradually add sugar, milk, and vanilla.
-Mix dry ingredients separately.
-Fold egg mixture into dry ingredients.
-Pour into greased jelly roll pan.
-Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.
-Spread peanut butter on warm cake.
-Cool.
-Cover with melted Hershey bar.

42 comments:

Mona said...

wow! Those tasty cakes are both Hot & Cool!

I love the oozing yumminess picture!
They really look like ones that would melt in your mouth...

We don't get peanut butter here :(

I even went look for it in the exclusive American Dollar shop but failed to find it. I wonder if it can be home made...

Thanks for the recipe!

Casdok said...

Never heard of them! But they do look good!! :)

EmBee said...

No, No, No Lime, it's all about the Kandy Kakes... You should know that! Chocolate and sweet sugary goodness Mmmmmmm!

lime said...

mona, for you and for anyone else who can't get PB but who can find peanuts...
http://www.ehow.com/how_2160099_peanut-butter-naturally-organic.html?ref=fuel

casdok, they are they are!

muffin top, you're all about the cup cakes huh?

g-man said...

I want some!!!!!!!!!

They look better than Little Debbies

God it's great to be back!!!

xoxox

SandyCarlson said...

That is the exact cuisine we can't get enough of around here. The name alone makes you want one. Thanks for the recipe, which looks about as wonderfully decadent as anyone could ask.

Thanks for stopping by.

lime said...

gman, little debbie can't hold a candle to tastykakes!

sandy, thanks for your visit as well. hope you enjoy the recipe.

furiousBall said...

little debbie is a whore.

tastykakes is the shiznizzle.

KFarmer said...

I ate so many Little Debbie oatmeal pies when I was carrying my first child that I was going to name the babe Debbie if it was a girl~ lol! Turned out boy so no go :)

The Tasty Kakes look much more appealing :)

James Goodman said...

Oh, I love those!!!! Now, I have to call my dad and see if he can send me some. :D

James Goodman said...

Or at least load up on them while I'm in Pittsburgh next month. :D

S said...

OK First, I will bring Mona some peanut butter when I am next in Delhi, but Mona, I bought peanut butter in Bangalore!

So I see that we have a continuation to the
"you've got your peanut butter in my chocolate!"
"NO! You've got YOUR chocolate in my peanut butter!"
Third person roller skating along eating a little vanilla cake trips over the fallen PB & Choc team:
"Man! You've got your cake in our Reeses Peanut Butter Cup!"
"No! You imbeciles! You've got your Reeses PBC in my little vanilla cake!"

Bloimey!

S said...

PS Next time someone sits on your kitchen table, say to them:

"Your name may be Barbara Ann, but I don't want your buns on my table!"

This was especially fun at my house because my moms name is Barbara!
(We called her Barbie~Q though)
Barbie~Q, Susie ~Q, get it? Haha!

lime said...

furiousball, you got it right on both counts, LOL

kfarmer, trust me on the superiority of the tastykake...really. would i lie to you?

james, make the recipe to hold you over until then

s, LOL @ your new ad and the bit with your mom.

SignGurl said...

It's incredible what mere images can do to your brain and cravings. And here I was on the new exercise bandwagon. I've got to get these yummy treats out of my brain.

Suldog said...

Tastykakes! They occasionally show up in New England. I love 'em, when I have the chance to indulge.

Big thing I remember is from the 70's and 80's. I used to pick up the Flyers games on radio when the conditions were right (I was much more into hockey then than I am now) and every time a Flyer scored, the announcer would say "Score! Bobby Clarke scores another case of Tastykakes!" or something to that effect, since they gave a case to every Flyer who scored as a promotion.

Flash said...

My grandparents loved Tasycakes, but my mom always said they were "too bitter".

I never had one. Ever...

Anonymous said...

Damnitall, now I'm hungry again! LOL!

lime said...

signgurl, i'm sorry. if it's any consolation it is testing my own resolve to loose many pounds.

suldog, ahhh, then you know of what i speak. they are divine.

flash, maybe she meant the cupcakes? i'm not crazy about those either, but the rest...no bitterness.

seamus, so am i as a matter of fact

Anonymous said...

Tastykake Cream Filled cupcakes, Crumb Cakes and Blueberry Pie....oh yummmmmmmm

San said...

Now I'm craving a peanut butter TastyCake. And I never even had one before.

Me, I'm partial to Krispy Kremes when I'm in an artery-clogging mood.

Keyser Soze said...

I have been in Philadelphia twince in recent memory. Proof at: www.flickr.com/andyt13

Both times I have had steak and cheese sammiches that utterly failed to live up to the reputation. Maybe they're just better in NY?

jillie said...

Oh they just look SOOOO yummy! My friend Lisa talks about tasty cakes all the time. That peanut butter one kind of reminds of the GS Cookies. I may just have to hop on line. But thanks for the recipe. That looks SO good.

Maybe I can impress the b/f's mom with this desert. I love to "one" up her....lol!

XO

jillie said...

Is this the nonfat, low cal, no transfat, no cholesterol recipe?

LOL

barman said...

Very nice. Here I guess our big one is Hostess and maybe Dolly Madison. There are some other minor things here and there but nothing worth mentioning. Those did sure look yummy but I somehow managed to stay away from sweets all day. Of course the night might be a different story.

Oh no, you had peanut butter... I am going to be in trouble here.

Anonymous said...

HEY!

I want one.

I'm no where near there...

Jenny, the Bloggess said...

I need to move, obviously. All we have in Texas are oatmeal cream pies.

Very depressing.

Charles said...

I'm not sure if we get those down here or not, it seems like I've seen trucks with the name on them, its definitely not an unfamiliar name. They do look good.

Unknown said...

What? No butter? I don't eat any dessert item unless it has at least two sticks of butter. Minimum.

Cheesy said...

OMG those brought back memories! Haven't had in YEARS!

But I do love me some Lil Debbie's nutty buddys

Jeni said...

Being my normal unobservant self, I had no idea that Tastycakes was a Pennsylvania product! Love 'em too! Either one of 'em for that matter!
You can always think of a name for your cookbook as "Plugging Pennsylvania Products" or for a separate blogsite name. Whatever! Good choice here thought in this product, for sure!

david mcmahon said...

Mr Lime, sir

You are a noble traveller (and importer)!!

Mrs Lime - you're determined we should have our cake and eat it too? Okay, I'll vote for that!

Lori said...

Those DO look good! I'll have to look for them.

Here from David's...

Sandi McBride said...

You know, David sent me...bad David, bad David...I haven't had a TastyKake in years and now you post a recipe so I can attempt the miraculous on my own? I call this a personal foul...I sound like Homer Simpson in here muttering about doughnuts with sprinkles...lol...Tandy Take Cake...hmmm...Bad Michelle...now slap your hand and pass me another recipe!
Sandi

Brave Astronaut said...

I think I'm in love . . .

I've found my way here via David McMahon (and congratulations on being a post of the day) and I may never leave . . .

I have Recipe Mondays on my blog and with your permission, would like to include the Tastykake knockoff for a future post.

Regards, Brave Astronaut

Merisi said...

David sent me, I say this, otherwise I forget, drooling over that tempting recipe. Somehow March the 13th is not a safe day to surfe: Recipes everywhere! *help*
I love the idea of making my own peanut butter, too bad I haven't found decent peanuts yet. Maybe somebody has a tip about how to grow your own peanuts, in a pot, that is. ;-)

aims said...

You have made me incredibly hungry!

Your joy and love of this treat is so obvious it brought a smile -

btw - David sent me!

Kat said...

Those look amazing! Thanks for the recipe!

Cath said...

Over from David's blog. I'm hungry now!

Not heard of these but anything with chocolate is good. Or cream. My favourites here in UK are Mr. Kipling cakes and I love Viennese Whirls....Mmmmmm. Just off to the kitchen...

Jamie Dawn said...

YUMMY to the MAX!!!!

I gained five pounds just reading this post.
My buhunkus got wider as I gazed longingly at those Tastykake photos.
I can see why you craved them while you were pregnant. I'm craving them right now, and I've never eaten one before.

:-)

Jocelyn said...

I love a food name that describes the food itself. It's "tasty" and it's a "kake."

Kind of luck butter is "butt" and "er."

Anonymous said...

I first heard of Tastykake's Butterscotch Crumpets from Maniac Magee, a character in a Jerry Spinelli novel. That chocolate filled chocolate cupcake looks enticing to me.