Cake and Life in 1926
Smack in the middle of the Probibition Era in the United States, a general strike in Britain, and coup d'états in both Portugal and Poland, 1926 was a busy year. But of course, there's still time for cake.
The President of the United States was Calvin Coolidge (1923 - 1929), and he was no stranger to cake. The White House National Press Association presented him with this amazing cake in early 1926.
And in June, the president and Mrs. Coolidge enjoyed cake at a garden party. From the expression of Mrs. Coolidge, it appears to be a tasty cake.
Not to be outdone, members of Congress presented a magnificent birthday cake to Charles Stedman on his 85th birthday. Congressman Stedman was the last veteran of the Civil War to hold a seat in Congress.
But one of the grandest cakes of 1926 was a cake celebrating a hundred years of Vaudeville, presented by actress Lois Syrell.
But what about cakes for people who aren't actresses or politicians? For that, we check out old menus and cookbooks.
Menu from the Advertising Club of New York in the Summer of 1926. The font is gorgeous, but I'm more interested in that apple cake!
If you read through old cookbooks like me, then you know that finding a recipe is not enough. Sometimes you have to translate the old words or amounts, and sometimes you might even have to guess at the oven temperature or how long to actually bake the ingredients.
But sometimes you get lucky and find pictures. The following cakes were found in Fancy Cake Baking Henry Heide Inc., 1926.
Ingredients:
Sugar, 2½ lbs.
Eggs, 1 qt.
Egg yolks, 1 pt.
Flour, 2 lbs.
Starch, 1/2 lb.
Butter, 1 lb.
Almond extract, about 1/16 oz.
Directions: Beat the sugar and eggs until a stiff, frothy mixture is obtained. Then slowly incorporate the flavor and the salt. Finally add the flour and mix carefully until a smooth mixture is obtained. Carefully add the melted butter.
With a 12-inch heart shaped tin cutter cut out the figures from Butter Sponge Cake, and dip these into raspberry water or fondant icing; decorate them in any suitable manner with cornet and silver dragees.
Ingredients:
Sugar, 1 lb.
Eggs, 10
Egg yolks, 6.
Flour, 3/4 lb.
Starch, 1/4 lb.
Butter, 6 ozs.
Mace.
Vanilla to suit.
Directions: Stir sugar gradually with the yolks of 16 eggs, till very frothy. Beat the whites very stiff and add to the above; then the flour and starch, lastly the hot butter. Bake in a 1-inch-thick sheet; when cold cut into circles 1.5 inches in diameter, and frost with thin fondant icing.
Cut from thin rolled marzipan, scalloped disks 1 inch in diameter; lay these on top and fasten a small hand-modelled marzipan fruit which has been given the natural color by dry tinting. Little horns of plenty may also be formed of round disks of white marzipan and filled with preserved fruit.
Ingredients:
Sugar, 1 lb.
Butter, 1½ lbs.
Eggs, 6
Egg yolks, 4
Milk, 1/4 cupful
1 small pinch soda
Flour, 3 lbs.
1 pinch cinnamon
2 lemon gratings.
Directions: Mix sugar cake dough in the usual manner; roll out in strips, say, 2 inches broad; bake partly, then run with a ½ inch star tube, two lines of the fancy macaroon mixture near the borders. Allow it to stand for a few hours to dry. Then bake on double pans in the usual manner.
When baked put into the groove a generous portion of raspberry jam; which in turn is covered with lukewarm lemon water icing. When cold cut into slices 1 inch broad.
I adore these cakes - so different, but still familiar. Baking yesterday's cake is a small, tangible way of connecting with the past.
The President of the United States was Calvin Coolidge (1923 - 1929), and he was no stranger to cake. The White House National Press Association presented him with this amazing cake in early 1926.
And in June, the president and Mrs. Coolidge enjoyed cake at a garden party. From the expression of Mrs. Coolidge, it appears to be a tasty cake.
Not to be outdone, members of Congress presented a magnificent birthday cake to Charles Stedman on his 85th birthday. Congressman Stedman was the last veteran of the Civil War to hold a seat in Congress.
But one of the grandest cakes of 1926 was a cake celebrating a hundred years of Vaudeville, presented by actress Lois Syrell.
But what about cakes for people who aren't actresses or politicians? For that, we check out old menus and cookbooks.
Menu from the Advertising Club of New York in the Summer of 1926. The font is gorgeous, but I'm more interested in that apple cake!
If you read through old cookbooks like me, then you know that finding a recipe is not enough. Sometimes you have to translate the old words or amounts, and sometimes you might even have to guess at the oven temperature or how long to actually bake the ingredients.
But sometimes you get lucky and find pictures. The following cakes were found in Fancy Cake Baking Henry Heide Inc., 1926.
Sugar, 2½ lbs.
Eggs, 1 qt.
Egg yolks, 1 pt.
Flour, 2 lbs.
Starch, 1/2 lb.
Butter, 1 lb.
Almond extract, about 1/16 oz.
Directions: Beat the sugar and eggs until a stiff, frothy mixture is obtained. Then slowly incorporate the flavor and the salt. Finally add the flour and mix carefully until a smooth mixture is obtained. Carefully add the melted butter.
With a 12-inch heart shaped tin cutter cut out the figures from Butter Sponge Cake, and dip these into raspberry water or fondant icing; decorate them in any suitable manner with cornet and silver dragees.
Sugar, 1 lb.
Eggs, 10
Egg yolks, 6.
Flour, 3/4 lb.
Starch, 1/4 lb.
Butter, 6 ozs.
Mace.
Vanilla to suit.
Directions: Stir sugar gradually with the yolks of 16 eggs, till very frothy. Beat the whites very stiff and add to the above; then the flour and starch, lastly the hot butter. Bake in a 1-inch-thick sheet; when cold cut into circles 1.5 inches in diameter, and frost with thin fondant icing.
Cut from thin rolled marzipan, scalloped disks 1 inch in diameter; lay these on top and fasten a small hand-modelled marzipan fruit which has been given the natural color by dry tinting. Little horns of plenty may also be formed of round disks of white marzipan and filled with preserved fruit.
Sugar, 1 lb.
Butter, 1½ lbs.
Eggs, 6
Egg yolks, 4
Milk, 1/4 cupful
1 small pinch soda
Flour, 3 lbs.
1 pinch cinnamon
2 lemon gratings.
Directions: Mix sugar cake dough in the usual manner; roll out in strips, say, 2 inches broad; bake partly, then run with a ½ inch star tube, two lines of the fancy macaroon mixture near the borders. Allow it to stand for a few hours to dry. Then bake on double pans in the usual manner.
When baked put into the groove a generous portion of raspberry jam; which in turn is covered with lukewarm lemon water icing. When cold cut into slices 1 inch broad.
I adore these cakes - so different, but still familiar. Baking yesterday's cake is a small, tangible way of connecting with the past.
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