Good Cake
From the treasured pages of Cookbook of 1725
Unknown Author
Good Cake
"Take 4 pd. of Flower well Dryd, 1 Ounce of Spice well beaten, 1 pd. of Carraway Seeds, if you love Sugar ones noSugar in your Cake, plain ones 1 pd. of powdr'd Sugar, 1 pt. of the best Ale of the Yeaft, 4 pd. of Butter, half the Butter rubb'd well in the Flower, & the other half melted in a Pt. of Cream. Strain your Yeaft to the Butter & Cream, when Tis almost cold mix your Cake, you must put in 16 Eggs well beaten leaving out half the Whitles, Strain your Eggs to the Yeaft, just as you go to mix It."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is presented as a continuous set of actions, often with minimal punctuation or paragraph breaks, consistent with 18th-century manuscript style. Quantities are given in pounds, ounces, and pints—reflecting the large batch size, typical for grand cakes, and the realities of household-scale baking. Many spellings are archaic ('yeaft' for yeast, 'flower' for flour, 'rubb'd' for rubbed). Instructions assume knowledge of kitchen processes like rubbing in butter, 'straining' eggs, and 'mixing your cake', often leaving out step-by-step details—relying on the cook's experience.
Title
Cookbook of 1725 (1725)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1725
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful window into 18th-century kitchens, this historical culinary volume whisks readers away with its charming recipes and savory secrets from a bygone era.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe, dating from around 1725, reflects the English love of rich, yeasted cakes during the Georgian period. Such cakes were often served for special occasions, tea tables, or large gatherings, and showed off both a household's larder and baking skills. Caraway was an especially fashionable flavor at this time, and the use of yeast (rather than just eggs or chemical leaveners) evokes the transitional era between bread- and cake-making—long before modern baking powder. The large quantities of butter, eggs, and spices give this cake a luxurious, celebratory character.
Historically, this cake would have been mixed in a large wooden bowl, using a wooden spoon or one's hands to rub in the butter and mix the dough. The yeast would be prepared from 'ale barm'—the frothy yeasty foam from fermenting beer. Baking would likely be done in a brick or stone oven, using heavy, greased pans, and testing for doneness by scent and feel. Sieves were used for drying and sifting flour, and a mortar and pestle for grinding spices. Separation of eggs would be by hand, and straining the mixture was achieved using muslin or fine cloth.
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings
32
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 4 lbs plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 oz ground mixed spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, or blend of your choice)
- 1 lb caraway seeds
- 1 lb granulated sugar (optional, omit for a savory cake)
- 1 pint (20 fl oz) strong ale
- 1 oz fresh yeast (or 1 sachet instant yeast, approx. 1/4 oz)
- 4 lbs unsalted butter
- 1 pint (20 fl oz) heavy cream (double cream)
- 16 large eggs (8 yolks & 8 whole eggs, using only half the egg whites)
Instructions
- To make this 'Good Cake' in your modern kitchen, first start with 4 lbs (1.8 kg) of plain (all-purpose) flour that has been well dried—simply sift and place in a low oven for a while to remove moisture.
- Into this, add 1 ounce (28 g) of ground mixed spice (typically cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, or your personal favorite blend) and 1 lb (450 g) of caraway seeds.
- If you like your cake sweet, add 1 lb (450 g) of powdered or granulated sugar; if you prefer a more savory cake, leave it out.
- Steep 1 pint (approx.
- 20 fl oz) of the best strong ale with 1 oz (30 g) of fresh yeast (or use one modern sachet of instant yeast) and strain it to make your yeast mixture.
- Rub half the butter—about 2 lbs (900 g)—well into the flour using your fingertips.
- Melt the remaining 2 lbs (900 g) of butter into 1 pint (20 fl oz) of heavy cream over low heat and allow to cool until just warm.
- Add the yeast mixture to this.
- In a separate bowl, beat 16 eggs, leaving out half the whites (meaning use 16 yolks and 8 whites), and strain them into the yeast and cream mixture.
- Combine everything together and mix into a thick batter.
- Let the dough prove in a warm place until doubled, then shape into loaves or cakes, leave to rise again, and bake at 350°F until golden and cooked through (about 1-1.5 hours depending on the size of your cake).
Estimated Calories
650 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 45 minutes to prepare the ingredients and mix the dough. Baking the cake takes between 1 and 1.5 hours. This recipe makes a large cake that serves around 32 people. Each serving has about 650 calories.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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