I have noticed a number of mock cream recipes in my 1940’s recipe books so have decided to try them out and see if there really is something that can replicate fresh cream using ingredients available to the 1940’s housewife…
it cured my sweet tooth though!
This one looked pretty good and tasted OK but nothing like cream- guess the granulated sugar grittiness gave it away! Anyhow- I did enjoy a blob of it on some spiced rock buns I made earlier (recipe coming tomorrow for those) topped with a little strawberry jam- how decadent!
It did cure my sweet tooth though…
Mock cream recipe 1
- 2 oz margarine
- 2 oz fine granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried milk powder
- 1 tablespoon milk
Cream the sugar and margarine together until light and fluffy
Add in the dried milk powder and milk and beat well until light and fluffy again
Chill and serve
The 1940's Experiment 
Maybe if you used super fine sugar or as my Grandma called it fruit sugar and let it set a bit, it might not have the gritty feeling. I’ve run regular sugar in my food processor to make it a little finer to use in recipes calling for fruit sugar. Just a thought.
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Good point- ideally I could have used icing/confectioners sugar but this wasn’t produced during the war as far as I can see. Thanks for your tip!
C xx
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My gran used a coffee mill to grind down sugar into powdered sugar. Those women made due with what they had 😉
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If you thoroughly cream the margarine/butter with the granulated sugar until all grittiness is gone then your result will be really great…try it.
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That is a frosting rather than a cream. YUMMY!!
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I think that mock cream would be best used inside a victoria sponge to sandwich it together with some jam too… it was sweet and tasted fine….not like real cream of course but gives the illusion I guess! c xx
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I made as above but found ingredience did not hold together and was to sweet for my liking .I added cornflour by the tablespoon ,possibly 4 or more.This lightened the mixture in colour,combined the other ingredience together and the final result was less sweet.
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I was hoping to find a recipe similar to the one my nan used to use. That used cornflour and when made had an almost curdled look, was very light in texture and tasted really good not like cream though. We used to put it in our butterfly cakes
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Hi Amanda- the recipe I used was pretty good. I would use caster sugar- as fine a granulated sugar as possible though. I guess compared with what we have now the texture isn’t so great but I bet it was a real treat back in the 1940s!!! C xxx
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Hi do you have a face book page I could join please x
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Hi there – here you are! https://www.facebook.com/1940sexperiment/
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xxxx
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Icing sugar was available during WW2; but not in quantity and I don’t know about rationing aspects.
My father was a baker and confectioner; and made many cakes during WW2, particularly wedding cakes and late on, cakes to celebrate the return of POWs.
These were all decorated using conventional icing sugar.
Fondant was also available – again in small quantities.
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Also much used was Powdered Egg from Canada and later Flaked Egg from China – he preferred the latter as it needed less preparation and could be used about 2 hours after mixing.
The Powdered Egg mixture had to stand for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours, before being used.
Another relatively uncommon item was Soya Flour.
Contrary to general belief, Curry Powder was available, helping to produce tasty omelettes and pancakes.
Late on in the war and to the early 1950s, Fat Extender was used to reduce the amount of genuine fats in recipes. I don’t know its ingredients; but it always reminded me of Brylcreem without the scent.
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Hi Carolyn,
Have been following your journey for quite a while.
Just got the book “Till We Eat Again” and am thoroughly enjoying it. The first recipe I tried was the “Mock Cream 2”; which sounded like the recipe my Grandma gave me a long time ago, and which I have since lost.
Oh yes, it is sweet! I made it to go inside a Victoria Sponge cake, so I added about two tablespoons of Sour Cream. It tasted richer and less sweet, all in all, it made a wonderful dessert.
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Oh I love that book!! I have the whole set of three and the book that has all three of them in one…its my favourite set of cookbooks! Sounds like a great idea to add the sour cream! xx
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The above recipe (or very similar) I still use to fill my Victoria Sandwich, it keeps better than whipped cream too, not that the old Vic Cake ever lasts long. I went to junior school in London in the 1950s and remember fondly the school dinners. One recipe which eludes me to this day was the light-as-air mock cream which had the texture of uncooked meringue, possibly it was merely whipped egg whites and sugar. Have you heard of this one? I’m really enjoying your site, thanks so much for all your hard work ♥
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Hi, my kids are both dairy intolerant so I madeit with cornflour and soya milk.. Tastes almost like cream.. The kids loved it
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Hi just found your website,I have been looking for a mock cream made with corn flour and found it,I used to use it years ago by Mrs Benton. Thanx you have fab,recipes. 😀
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