Last week, we provided a recipe for peanut cake, a long-time specialty of Belleville bakeries. In response, two readers have identified bakeries that still make and sell the treats (one in Belleville and one in Des Peres), and local food writer Dorothy Firestone sent her grandmother’s recipe.

First, the bakeries:

Eckert’s Market in Belleville (Route 15 at Green Mount Rd., I think) has a wonderful bakery counter.  Last time I was there they had the wonderful Peanut Cakes, iced, full of peanuts and cut in squares.

and

Some of the goods found at old neighborhood bakeries can be found at Clayton’s Bakery, 11744 Manchester Road in Des Peres. Phone number is 314-821-2509. My name is Bill Clayton, owner of the bakery.

I think that I have the peanut cake they are looking for. It is made with a base of coffee cake dough, with a hint of cinnamon in the dough, topped with a generous layer of peanuts that have been cracked, not ground. The cake is baked, then covered with a white fondant icing. I make a 8 inch round peanut dome the same way.

I am a scratch baker. About 7 years ago I purchased Schmemeier Bakery. Much of my experience comes from Lake Forest Pastry Shop and Cravings. My grandfather owned a bakery in Alton, Ill.

Most of what we make is the old St. Louis-style German pastries and a large variety of coffee cakes. We make a large number of Lake Forest-style pastries as well.

And here is Dorothy Firestone’s recipe, which she published in her cookbook, TableTalk: A Cookbook and Memoir:

My grandmother moved to Belleville around 1905 and soon learned to make this version of Peanut Squares.

Sadie’s Peanut Squares
Makes about 48 squares

Cake
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 pound powdered sugar (1 box)
1½ teaspoons vanilla
¾ cup milk, or enough to make a thin icing
1½ pounds salted Redskin Spanish peanuts with skins, finely ground but not to a paste

Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Line it with waxed paper. Grease the paper and flour it, shaking out excess flour. Set aside.
2. Bring the milk and butter to boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Stir in the vanilla. Set aside.
3. Beat the eggs with sugar and salt until thick and lemon colored. Stir the flour and baking powder together and fold into the eggs. Add the milk and stir until smooth.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake 20-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool. Cake can be securely wrapped and frozen.

Frosting
1. Mix the butter with powdered sugar and vanilla.
2. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time to make a thin icing. You may not need all the milk, but you may need more later if the icing gets too thick.
3. Cut the cake into 48 squares, using a ruler and a sharp knife. 1¼ x 1¼-inches is good size. There will be some waste.
4. Ice each square on 5 sides. Roll in ground peanuts.