To make a great Cake
Take 40 eggs and divide the whites from the yolks and beat them until froth
Then work 4 pounds of butter to a cream and put the whites of eggs to it a spoon full at a time till it is well worked
Then put 4 pounds of sugar finely powdered to it in the same manner
Then put in the yolks of eggs and 5 pounds of flower [flour] and 5 pounds of fruit
2 hours will bake it
Add to it half an ounce of mace and nutmeg, half a pint of wine, and some French brandy
This was wrote by Martha Custis for her Grandmama (Martha Washington)
When looking at this recipe, consider the following questions:
- Why do you think this recipe was written down?
- Who would have been making this cake?
- Look at the recipe's transcript (or original words, if you're feeling ambitious). Look for the words "pounds," and count - how many pounds of ingredients does this cake require? How many ounces? How many pints?
- How does this cake recipe compare to other cake recipes that you've made, seen, or tasted before?
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Download"Great Cakes" were common in the 18th century, and were usually very large. An enslaved cook most likely would have baked this cake and followed this recipe. The recipe was written by Martha Parke Custis [Peter] for her grandmother, Martha Washington.