Watts Tea Shop Recipes

Submitted by: jej
Last Updated: 10/31/2008

Sunshine Cake
Graham Cracker Torte
Tomato Basil Cream Soup
Cream Cheese Date Sandwich
Kiwi tarts
Sunshine Cake helps fill the table at Watts
From the Journal Sentinel
Last Updated: Dec. Feb. 28, 2001

Four readers requested recipes for foods served at Watts Tea Room, 761 N. Jefferson St. Laurie Lorum, Milwaukee, asked for the restaurant's Sunshine Cake; Fran D. R., via e-mail, asked for a graham cracker torte; Marion Heinz, Brookfield, requested a tomato and basil cream soup; and Sue Deutsch, Milwaukee, asked for the ingredients used to make a "wonderful date nut sandwich."
Graham Cracker Torte (left), with custard filling and mocha frosting, and Filled Sunshine Cake, with boiled frosting, are two delectable desserts offered at Watts Tea Room, 761 N. Jefferson St. Photo/Erwin Gebhard
Photo/Erwin Gebhard

Graham Cracker Torte (left), with custard filling and mocha frosting, and Filled Sunshine Cake, with boiled frosting, are two delectable desserts offered at Watts Tea Room, 761 N. Jefferson St.

Lorum wrote: "I look forward to ordering this cake whenever I go to Watt's. In fact, I order it right along with my lunch."

Heintz wrote: "We have been looking for a wonderful recipe for tomato basil soup. We had lunch at George Watts Tea Room and had the most delicious tomato basil cream soup. We would love to have the recipe and would give George credit every time we served it."

Sheila Timmermann, tea shop manager, sent the recipes. She noted that the Sunshine Cake is the tea room's most popular dessert and that it has been served at the restaurant for many years.

She said the dessert was actually served at the shop prior to when George Watts purchased the shop in 1952. She said the business was previously called "The Cook Tea Shop, and was run by the Cook Sisters."

Timmermann said Watts not only purchased the building, but the restaurant's recipes as well. They included the Cook sisters' recipes for bread, English muffins, French dressing, the Sunshine Cake and sandwich spreads. Timmermann said most of these recipes still are being used at the tea shop today.

The tea shop once served a "date nut spread," but nuts are no longer included in the recipe. Today it is served on finger sandwiches when a tea plate was ordered. In the past it was also served with cream cheese. Today customers can order the sandwiches with or without the cream cheese.
-- Joanne Kempinger Demski

Watts Tea Room Filled Sunshine Cake

9 eggs, separated
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar (divided)
1 cup cake flour (sifted three times)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
French custard filling (see recipe)
Boiled frosting (see recipe)
Grated rind of 2 large oranges for garnish

To make cake, beat together egg yolks, water and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flour gradually, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In metal bowl, whip egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until whites are stiff. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat just until peaks begin. Fold into batter. Pour batter into ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes or until light brown. When done, remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare French custard filling and boiled frosting.

To assemble, carefully cut cooled cake into three layers. Fill between layers with French custard, then frost top and sides with boiled frosting. Grate orange rind over top of cake. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

French custard filling

4 egg yolks, beaten
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter

Combine egg yolks, powdered sugar and milk in top of double boiler. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and coats the back of spoon; stirring constantly. Cool to room temperature. Add vanilla.

In medium bowl, cream butter thoroughly. Slowly add cooled custard to butter mixture, beating well.

Boiled frosting

1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
3 egg whites (see note)
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar and water and boil just until syrup spins a thread, (220 degrees on a candy thermometer.) In another bowl, beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Very slowly drizzle hot syrup into beaten egg whites with electric mixer mixing at medium speed. Beat constantly until frosting stands in stiff peaks and is of spreading consistency. Add vanilla and beat well.

Note: Though the risk of salmonella is smaller from uncooked egg whites than from the yolks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends against using them to be absolutely sure - particularly for the very young, the elderly, pregnant women and people with serious illnesses or weakened immune systems. Reconstituted powdered egg whites, available at Cook Specialty Co., 7321 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis, can be used instead.

Watts Tea Shop Graham Cracker Torte

2 1/2 cups plus 1/8 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cups flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 1/2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cups chopped pecans
Custard (see recipe)
Mocha frosting (see recipe)
2 cups toasted slivered almonds

In bowl, combine crumbs, flour, salt and baking powder.

In another bowl, cream butter. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Alternately add dry ingredients along with milk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease three 9-inch layer cake pans.

Pour batter into pans, dividing it evenly. Bake in preheated oven 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare French custard filling and mocha frosting.

To assemble: Fill cooled layers with custard and frost top and sides with mocha frosting. Sprinkle top of cake with toasted almonds. Makes about 12 servings.

French custard filling

4 egg yolks, beaten
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter

Combine egg yolks, powdered sugar and milk in top of double boiler. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly. Cool to room temperature. Add vanilla.

In medium bowl, cream butter thoroughly. Slowly add cooled custard to butter mixture, beating well.

Mocha frosting

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup brewed coffee
3 tablespoons whipping cream or milk

In bowl, cream butter. Add powdered sugar and blend well. Add coffee and cream and whip until smooth.

Watts Tea Room Tomato Basil Cream Soup

8 medium to large tomatoes, cored
1/3 cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons oil (divided)
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 quart whole milk
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and mixed with 1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon white pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place tomatoes on sheet pan, drizzle the 1/3 cup olive oil over tomatoes and sprinkle with dried basil. Roast in preheated oven 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Saute chopped garlic, onion and celery in remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When tomatoes have cooled, remove skins and puree with sauteed garlic mixture. Set aside.

In large saucepan, slowly heat milk. Add stock, then thicken with butter-flour roux. Add garlic powder, onion powder, tomato sauce, reserved puree, fresh basil and white pepper. Simmer slowly 1 hour, stirring frequently. Makes about 12 side-dish servings.

Watts Tea Room Cream Cheese Date Sandwich

1 box (10 ounces) pitted dates
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup water
4 ounces cream cheese (about), room temperature
6 slices of light whole-wheat bread

In small saucepan, combine dates, lemon juice and water. Cook until dates are soft, about 15 minutes. Stir to mash. Cool completely.

When ready to serve, lightly spread date mixture on 1 piece of bread. Lightly spread cream cheese on the other slice. Make sandwiches then cut them into quarters. Makes 24 finger sandwiches.

Mary Jo Grunewald, New Berlin, requested the recipe for a raspberry cake served at George Watts Tea Room, 761 N. Jefferson St. She wrote: "My sisters, mom and I go to George Watts Tea Room in downtown Milwaukee a couple of times a year for special occasions such as birthdays. We recently had the raspberry batter cake and it was just delicious."

Sheila Timmermann, tea shop manager, sent the recipe, which is prepared by executive chef Leroy McLemore.

Photo/Jim Gehrz
Raspberry batter cake, served at George Watts Tea Room, 761 N. Jefferson St., can be varied with blueberries.

George Watts Tea Room Raspberry Batter Cake

2 cups fresh raspberries or blueberries, washed and dried
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 3/4 cups sugar (divided)
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup boiling water

Pour berries into well-greased 8-inch square pan. Sprinkle berries with lemon juice.

In bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the sugar and butter. In second bowl, combine flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and mix well. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to sugar/butter mixture. Spread batter over berries.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Make topping: Combine remaining 1 cup sugar, cornstarch and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well, then sprinkle mixture evenly over batter in pan. Pour boiling water over all.

Bake in preheated oven 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into top part of cake near center comes out clean, or when center springs back when pressed lightly with finger. Top of cake will be light brown. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Makes about 9 servings.