Recipes on the Rail: Show your love with Northern Pacific cake this Valentine’s Day
By EUNICE ARCHILA
Staff Writer
Known for its “famously good” food, Northern Pacific Railway (NP) set a high standard for dining on the rails. Imagine stepping into an elegant dining car full of tables set with fine china and crisp linens, while breathtaking western scenery rolls past. Friendly service and expertly prepared meals made dining aboard NP an experience that rivaled even the finest restaurants of the time.
Dining in Motion
Each trip required careful planning. Seats were reserved in advance, allowing the NP team to estimate the number of meals needed, but last-minute ticket sales could shift those. Dining car stewards meticulously tracked inventory, ensuring they had enough provisions and arranging for replenishments at upcoming stops when necessary.
“We looked forward to getting home [after a five-day trip], but we were just as happy to get on the road after that fourth day,” recalled Bob Jones, an NP dining car steward from 1963-1987, in William A. McKenzie’s book, Dining Car Line to the Pacific. “You see, we had two families, really. The one at home and the one we had when we were out on the line.”
A Culinary Operation
To maintain its reputation, NP operated commissaries stocked with everything needed for dining cars. A dedicated bakery turned out cakes, pastries, breads and rolls, while butchers prepared fresh meats. Commissaries also stored dairy products, seafood and seasonal fruits and vegetables, ensuring high-quality ingredients were always on hand.
Chefs prepared soups, sauces, dressings and pie fillings in advance, allowing for efficiency without sacrificing quality. Linen rooms housed polished silverware, elegant china and freshly pressed tablecloths—every detail carefully considered to enhance the dining experience.
In 1909, NP even ran a 52-acre dairy, poultry and pig farm near Seattle. The farm produced around 1,800 eggs daily, each stamped with the date it was laid. This commitment to fresh, high-quality ingredients set NP’s dining service apart.
While we can’t travel back in time to enjoy an NP dining car meal, we can bring a taste of history into our own kitchens. This classic Devil’s Food Cake is the perfect treat for any occasion, especially for Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day celebrations!
Northern Pacific Railway’s Devil’s Food Cake #2
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate, grated
Instructions:
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
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In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla, beating until well combined.
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Sift together flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda and cocoa.
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Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the creamed mixture, mixing until just combined.
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Stir in grated chocolate.
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In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the batter.
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Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes.
Let the cake cool before frosting with your favorite chocolate buttercream. This rich, chocolatey cake is a must-try for any dessert lover!
