Birthday Cake recipe from 1894
Recipe Source:
This recipe is from ‘The Home Cook Book’ in the collection at the Minden Hills Museum & Heritage Village. It was published in 1894!
A later edition of this same book is available to view in full on archive.org
Quick view:
Ingredients:
The Historic Recipe:
"One pound and a-half of fine sugar, one pound and a-half of butter, three pounds and one-half of currants, two pounds of flour, one-half pound of candied peel, one-half pound almonds, two ounces spices, the grated rind of three lemons, eighteen eggs, one gill of brandy. Paper the hoops, and bake three hours. Ice when cold."
The Home Cook Book (1894)
Directions for modern bake:
Cream together butter and sugar. Add in eggs and flour. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well. Consider soaking currants in hot water or brandy for added moisture.
Bake at a low temperature – like a fruit cake. Loaf tins or deep pans will take longer. Shallow cake tins like the ones in the video will bake in 45 minutes at 300F.
Ice when cold. I used store bought cream cheese icing between the layers and topped with icing sugar.
Print:
Submit a family recipe
Back to Community Cookbook main page
Ingredients
Directions
Cream together butter and sugar. Add in eggs and flour. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well. Consider soaking currants in hot water or brandy for added moisture.
Bake at a low temperature – like a fruit cake. Loaf tins or deep pans will take longer. Shallow cake tins like the ones in the video will bake in 45 minutes at 300F.
Ice when cold. I used store bought cream cheese icing between the layers and topped with icing sugar.
