Erin Mann is baking a new cake every week for a year from the "All Cakes Considered" cookbook and shares her adventures here on AnnArbor.com. Read past columns here.

I've always had a bit of a retro sensibility about me and have a deep appreciation for things that existed long before my time. I adore old cookbooks. Published before the days of food stylists and recipe testers, they have a certain charm absent from cookbooks published today.

Leafing through one of these culinary tomes always conjures so many questions: Who did it belong to? What did she cook, and who was she cooking for? I like looking for clues that might provide possible answers. Are the pages of the canning chapter particularly dog-eared? Did the cook scribble notes on the recipes for her favorite dishes? A story lies within every food-stained page. It’s fascinating to ponder the life of that book before it reached my hands.

This week’s Whipped Cream Cake recipe originally appeared in "The American Woman’s Cookbook" long before its reprise in “All Cakes Considered.” Edited by Ruth Berolzheimer and first published in 1938, the AWC contains more than 10,000 recipes and was considered a comprehensive and trusted source by many home cooks. Used copies of the cookbook are still available through online book retailers. The entire book is also available for online viewing via the Internet Archive.

The cake is made with heavy cream instead of butter. I whipped the cream to soft peaks, then added the eggs, followed by the sugar and dry ingredients. It’s very simple to prepare and a basic cake that lends itself to any variety of frostings and toppings.

“All Cakes Considered” recommends a Seven Minute Frosting. I made my first Seven Minute Frosting months ago when I baked Wacky Cake. The frosting was fluffy, white and shiny like melted marshmallows, but as I allowed the cake to sit, the sugar in the frosting re-crystallized, making the frosting gritty, giving it a less than pleasing texture.

Some fellow bakers who read my article e-mailed with their advice. One warned not to scrape the sugar crystals that form on the sides of the bowl, and the other cautioned against letting the mixing bowl touch the water in my improvised double boiler. I kept their tips in mind as I mixed the frosting. The second attempt was a success; the frosting was still smooth the following day.

After last week's rich chocolate frosting, I was craving something bright and fruity. I flavored the frosting with a bit of lemon (but any flavor extract of your liking will do). Melissa Gray also suggests mixing in melted chocolate or cold coffee to flavor your frosting.

The complete cake and frosting recipe is online at the Washington Post website in an article titled "Grandmother's Cake Recipe." More than 70 years later, this cake recipe still stands the test of time; make it modern with your own frosting flavors and decorating.

Tell me about your favorite retro cookbookery. Do you have an old cookbook you regularly use?

Erin Mann is a lover of all things cake and welcomes your baking wisdom. E-mail her at SheGotTheBeat@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter. Facebook users can also keep up-to-date with A CAKE A WEEK by joining the group.