Pound Cake
Source: Mary Randolph, 1824
History
Pound Cake appears in Mary Randolph's The Virginia House-Wife, first published 1824; the Project Gutenberg text used here is an 1860 printing. The recipe directs the cook to wash the salt from a pound of butter and rub it 'till it is soft as cream,' then to beat it together with a pound of sifted flour, a pound of powdered sugar, and twelve well-beaten eggs, adding grated lemon peel, a nutmeg, and a gill of brandy before buttering the pans and baking. Randolph notes the same batter has uses beyond a plain cake: 'This cake makes an excellent pudding, if baked in a large mould, and eaten with sugar and wine. It is also excellent when boiled, and served up with melted butter, sugar and wine.' The record does not document any social, class, or ceremonial role for this dish.
Ingredients
- 1 pound butter
- 1 pound flour
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 12 eggs
- lemon peel
- 1 nutmeg
- 1 gill brandy
- butter
Instructions
- Wash the salt from the butter and rub it until it is soft as cream. Have ready the sifted flour, powdered sugar, and well-beaten eggs.
- Put the butter, sugar, flour, and the froth from the eggs alternately into a bowl, continuing to beat them together until all the ingredients are incorporated and the cake is quite light.
- Add the grated lemon peel, nutmeg, and brandy, and beat well to combine.
- Butter the pans and pour in the batter. Bake until done. This cake may be baked in a large mould and served as a pudding with sugar and wine, or it may be boiled and served with melted butter, sugar and wine.