I'm left scratching my head at why this recipe is called "cowboy cake." The recipe comes to me from an Old Order Mennonite settlement in Missouri and is apparently very popular there. But the Mennonite woman who gave it to me never did explain how it got its name.
If you flip through any Amish cookbook you will see all sorts of interesting recipe names. And, often, their origin is lost to history.
This recipe is called “cowboy cake “but I’m not sure why. It does come to us from Missouri. It’s very popular there. But the woman who gave it to me wasn’t sure how it got its name.
I will say, however, that there has been a long-running fascination among the Amish with cowboys, the open range, the great plains, and rodeos.
There have been a number of Amish men over the years who have headed west to try their hand at cattle ranching. In fact, the Amish communities that have taken root in Montana are often because of some of those more adventuresome wayward Amish men who wanted to try their hand out west. So, perhaps this recipe is just a holdover from those days.
Some Amish teenage boys and young men actually work as ranch hands in the Saint Ignatius, Montana Amish community. Man, I will never forget driving with my wife along a rural road in Montana and just seeing this thundering herd of Holsteins coming towards us, they took up the entire road, there was nowhere for us to go, so I just put the car in park and the cows swarmed around the car and they disappeared as fast as they could. But they really shook the car as they went by.
So, let's get back to this recipe. We made this cake and it is so delicious, simple, and the texture is just perfect.
Very basic ingredients: brown sugar, flour, buttermilk, and a few other ingredients are the foundation of this recipe.
The brown sugar makes a superb texture with the flour and buttermilk. You make this in a square or a round pan, lightly greased. Don't overbake. Delicious with a glass of milk or cup of coffee.
🎂 Amish Cowboy Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 cups unsifted flour
- 1 /2 shortening
- 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
- 1 /2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teapsoon soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 egg
📋 Instructions
- Mix first three ingredients to crumb consistency.
- Take out 3 /4 cup crumbs and then add rest of ingredients.
- When mixed well, pour into greased pan and sprinkle with ¾ remaining crumbs.
- Bake in moderate oven until done.
🎂 More Amish Cake Recipes
Cake For Company
Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake With Delicious Frosting
🖨️ Full Recipe
Amish Cowboy Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 cups unsifted flour
- 1 /2 cup shortening
- 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
- 1 /2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Mix first three ingredients to crumb consistency.
- Take out 3 /4 cup crumbs and then add rest of ingredients.
- When mixed well, pour into greased pan and sprinkle with ¾ remaining crumbs.
- Bake in moderate oven until done.
Angie Adair
I am thinking that it was made with ingredients they probably had on hand out on the range, and it could be eaten with their hands.
Mona G.
Have no answer for this one....but since you have thousands of Amish friends, maybe you can get us an answer.....did you ask Lovina ?????
Maybe Erik can help you find the answer.....he also has lots of Amish friends......
Bonnie Daniel
Maybe because it has the basic food supplies
that the cowboys would have in their saddle pack when working ?
Magdalena
My guess is that it was originally made in a dutch oven in the campfire coals. I have a similar Mennonite recipe simply called crumb cake.
NY Baker
No pan size is listed, but given the relatively small amount of flour, I'm guessing it's for an 8x8 pan... other suggestions? Thanks!
Arlene Morr
I have this cake recipe... called "Crumb Cake"...it is baked in a 350º oven for 30 minutes...in 2 8" pans or I use a 13X9" pan...also it is 1/2 C shortening. It is like a coffee cake and that's probably why it's called Cowboy Cake like others have said...eaten out of hand and ingredients available. It is really good.
Gary Jones
Funny replies. ;o)
"supplies that the cowboys would have in their saddle pack when working ?" Eggs?
Arlene Morr
Gary..they had chuck wagons that went along and am sure that's where the supplies were....probably had chickens, too for the eggs and to eat, Just guessing !!!!