Cake and WineRaphaelle Peale (1774-1825)
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I've missed my Saturday rendez-vous with Gutenberg the last month. A couple of days ago I took a quick peek to check if they had put up any interesting books lately. They certainly had! Books like "Literary Tours in The Highlands and Islands of Scotland", "The Young Lady's Equestrian Manual",
"Camping with President Roosevelt"
THE PRESIDENT WITH MR. BURROUGHS AND SECRETARY LOEBJUST BEFORE ENTERING THE PARK.
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and "The Lady's Own Cookery Book, and New Dinner-Table Directory; In Which will Be Found a Large Collection of Original Receipts". 3rd ed. by Charlotte Campbell Bury. This cookery book from 1844 has some recipes that I find interesting even if I wouldn't dream of trying them. What do you think of this cake?
A very rich Cake.
Two pounds and a half of fresh butter, twenty-four eggs, three-pounds of flour, one pound and a half of sugar, one ounce of mixed spice, four pounds of currants, half a jar of raisins, half of sweet almonds, a quarter of a pound of citron, three quarters of orange and lemon, one gill of brandy, and one nutmeg. First work the butter to a cream; then beat the sugar well in; whisk the eggs half an hour; mix them with the butter and sugar; put in the spice and flour; and, when the oven is ready, mix in the brandy, fruit, and sweetmeats. It will take one hour and a half beating. Let it bake three hours.
A very rich Cake.
Two pounds and a half of fresh butter, twenty-four eggs, three-pounds of flour, one pound and a half of sugar, one ounce of mixed spice, four pounds of currants, half a jar of raisins, half of sweet almonds, a quarter of a pound of citron, three quarters of orange and lemon, one gill of brandy, and one nutmeg. First work the butter to a cream; then beat the sugar well in; whisk the eggs half an hour; mix them with the butter and sugar; put in the spice and flour; and, when the oven is ready, mix in the brandy, fruit, and sweetmeats. It will take one hour and a half beating. Let it bake three hours.
And a caraway cake with two pounds of caraway seeds - I'm very fond of caraway seeds, but this sounds like a lot of seeds!
Caraway Cake. No. 1.
Melt two pounds of fresh butter in tin or silver; let it stand twenty-four hours; then rub into it four pounds of fine flour, dried. Mix in eight eggs, and whip the whites to a froth, a pint of the best yest, and a pint of sack, or any fine strong sweet wine. Put in two pounds of caraway seeds. Mix all these ingredients thoroughly; put the paste into a buttered pan, and bake for two hours and a half. You may mix with it half an ounce of cloves and cinnamon.
And finally a recipe that sounds a bit more "normal" for us modern bakers - and eaters:
Dry Tea Cakes.
Boil two ounces of butter in a pint of skimmed milk; let it stand till it is as cold as new milk; then put to it a spoonful of light yest, a little salt, and as much flour as will make it a stiff paste. Work it as much, or more, than you would do brown bread; let it lie half an hour to rise; then roll it into thin cakes; prick them very well quite through, to prevent their blistering, and bake them on tin plates in a quick oven. To keep crisp, they must be hung up in the kitchen, or where there is a constant fire.
They certainly liked butter in 1844! Perhaps everyone had a cow in the garden? The receipts sound interesting even if they don't tempt our modern, modest tastes.
SvaraRaderaMerciful heavens! What size pans did they bake these immensities of cake in? They are interesting, for sure! My favorite cake in the world is Hungarian toasted hazelnut torte. What is yours? Or is choosing too difficult? (I cannot promise that this would be my favorite cake tomorrow, let alone this afternoon.)
SvaraRaderaMaureen and Kristi,
SvaraRaderaEven if you didn't have a cow, I'm sure you lived close to a farm. I feel sorry for the maid(s?) who had to beat this huge batter!
I was wondering how large their ovens were - I don't think this cake would fit into my oven.
Hungarian toasted hazelnut torte sounds delicious! One of my favorite cakes is a hazelnut cake with no flour, and some chocolate - is that similar to yours?
Margaretha
no chocolate in my recipe, and little flour. Only six tablespoons, I think......
SvaraRaderaSounds as our cakes are similar - I think that my recipe asks for two tablespoons flour, but I always forget it, and it doesn't seem to make any difference.
SvaraRaderaMargaretha
I sometimes wonder how big the family eating those cakes have been, when reading old recipes. There are many "favourite" cake recipes which I bake (I love to bake), but during summer I prefer the "light" kitchen. We've had so hot days recently that I even didn't enjoy very much my daily hot cups of English tea, which I usually do. But the coming week we are going to "our island" in the mountains (by the way in Adelboden which however has changed a bit in the last thirty years!).
SvaraRaderaSummergreetings,
Barbara
Barbara,
SvaraRaderaOh, I love Adelboden - I've been there more times than I can count to. Yes, I know it has changed even if I haven't been there since 1996 (I think). But the mountains are the same - and it is the mountains I love. Do you have a house there?
I guess families were much larger in times gone, especially if you counted servants.
I'd love to hear more about your baking when you're back into fall routines.
Have a wonderful week in Adelboden and say hello to the mountains from me!
Margaretha
who wish she could join you there
You're right, the mountains are still the same, the landscape more or less too. And people there haven't changed either, they still are a little slowly but open-minded and nice. We are staying there in the family chalet, an old, little wooden house which once belonged to the father of one of our famous Swiss writers (Dürrenmatt). I would write you a postcard if you gave me your address.
SvaraRaderaBarbara
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SvaraRadera