This Vintage Cake Bar Contains A Very Unexpected Ingredient

From carrot to zucchini to pumpkin, there are countless vegetables you should be adding to your baked goods to enhance their flavor and texture. However, while lettuce isn't one that regularly comes to mind, it's one you shouldn't overlook to make your cake more moist and delicious. Iceberg lettuce, once known as crisphead lettuce, is a classic sandwich layer and the base of many crunchy American salads. But, back in the 1980s, home cooks gave it more purpose in their cuisine.

Of the many bizarre vintage cakes no one eats anymore, these old-school, lettuce-based cake bars aren't even that absurd. The foundation of this vintage cake is pretty standard, made with flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, eggs, and oil. Like a lot of other vegetables hiding in unexpected places, you wouldn't guess it was the main ingredient based on taste alone. In this case, the lettuce works more as a binding ingredient than a flavor booster. One recipe from the 1981 cookbook "Cuisinart Food Processor Cooking" recommends beating shredded iceberg lettuce, raisins, and chopped walnuts into the standard cake batter, which is seasoned with cardamom, ginger, and vanilla. The moist cake is topped with a velvety lemon cream cheese icing before being sliced into bars.

During the Great Depression, many households resorted to creative substitutes in their cooking, which later became comforting favorites passed down well into the end of the 20th century. For example, bakers would often substitute eggs and butter with mayonnaise. The beginning of the 1980s marked the start of yet another economic downturn period, which could have inspired home cooks to get more resourceful with ingredients — cue lettuce-infused cake and other quirky, budget-friendly creations.

Lettuce doesn't have the earthy sweetness of carrots or the fibrous texture of zucchini, but that's exactly the advantage here. Its mild, almost non-existent taste doesn't get in the way of the cake's flavor, but it does provide ultimate moisture. Similar to zucchini, lettuce is comprised mostly of water. When folded into batter and baked, it wilts and releases just enough liquid to keep the bars tender and pleasantly chewy. There are handful of unexpected, chef-approved ingredients that keep your cake moist, including mashed potatoes, silken tofu, and even sauerkraut. But, iceberg lettuce is one of the cheapest options, and chances are you already have some sitting in your fridge waiting to be eaten.