
A historical dessert from Favorite tested recipes of the members of Humboldt Park Chapter O.E.S and their friends (1900). For frosting mix a tablespoonful of butter with one cup confectioner's sugar, add two tablespoonsful cream and flavor with vanilla.
Preserved exactly as written in the original source
boil all together for three minutes
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when cool mix in two cups flour sifted with one teaspoonful baking powder and one-half teaspoonful soda dissolved in a little hot water
flavor with vanilla
bake twenty minutes in flat pan
Modern guidance to help you succeed with this vintage recipe
Boiling the sugar, spices, fat, and liquid together creates an inverted sugar syrup that keeps this eggless cake moist and tender for days. The dissolved baking soda and baking powder provide a dual leavening systemāthe soda reacts immediately with acidic brown sugar and molasses, while the baking powder activates during baking. Allowing the mixture to cool before adding flour prevents gluten overdevelopment, ensuring a tender crumb despite the absence of eggs and dairy to tenderize the structure.
The cake actually improves with age as the flavors meld. Bake up to 3 days ahead, let cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. The spices will deepen and the texture will become more moist.
Store unfrosted cake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. If frosted, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The high sugar content and absence of dairy make this cake exceptionally shelf-stable.
AI-generated tips from Chef Cecil's culinary database
The cake actually improves with age as the flavors meld. Bake up to 3 days ahead, let cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. The spices will deepen and the texture will become more moist.
Store unfrosted cake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. If frosted, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The high sugar content and absence of dairy make this cake exceptionally shelf-stable.