Recipe Manuscript

To Make Lemmon Cakes

Name: To Make Lemmon Cakes
Prep time: PTPT5M
Cook time: PTPT10M
Yield: 5
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 120 ml fresh lemon juice (or substitute orange juice for orange cakes); 200 g granulated sugar; Zest of 1 lemon or orange (optional, for added aroma)

1672

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of Constance Hall

Written by Constance Hall

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1672

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Make Lemmon Cakes

"Take your juice of Lemmons, set it in a clear fire and make it very hot but you must not let it boyle you must put your Sugar over the fire in a broad Dish and make it very Dry and when it is very hot and the juice is so hot cast in your Sugar to yor hands: keep Stirring your juce till it be as thick yt it will Drop into cakes and not run on y plate. you may make orange cakes the Same way and grate some orange or Lemmon peel into it."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is typical of 17th-century English manuscript cookery: it gives minimal quantities and relies on the cook’s experience for judgment, using phrases like 'as thick that it will drop into cakes and not run.' Spelling is non-standard ('boyle' for 'boil', 'juce' for 'juice', 'yt' for 'that'), and punctuation is sparse. The term 'cake' in this context refers to a shaped, sweet edible solid—not a baked cake in the modern sense.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of Constance Hall - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of Constance Hall (1672)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Constance Hall

Era

1672

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A spirited foray into 17th-century kitchens, this collection by Constance Hall brims with the flavors, secrets, and delicacies of Restoration-era England—perfect for cooks keen to revive a dash of history in their modern menus.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe is from the manuscript of Constance Hall, dated to 1672, a period when sugar was a prized, expensive commodity and lemon was considered exotic in English households. 'Lemmon cakes' here refers not to the modern sponge or pound cake, but to a kind of lozenge or sugar paste flavored with citrus, a popular sweetmeat served at the tables of the gentry for banquets or after-dinner treats.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the 17th century, cooks would have used a clear (embers-only) fire for gentle heat. The juice was likely heated in a small copper or brass pan. A broad, shallow metal dish or possibly earthenware was used for drying and heating the sugar. Stirring was done with a wooden spoon or a spatula. The finished 'cakes' would be shaped by hand or dropped with a spoon onto pewter or ceramic plates to set.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Servings

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

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (or substitute orange juice for orange cakes)
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon or orange (optional, for added aroma)

Instructions

Begin by juicing fresh lemons until you have about 1/2 cup of lemon juice (from roughly 2-3 lemons).
Pour the juice into a small saucepan and gently heat it over low heat until it is very hot, but make sure it does not boil—think of just below simmering point.
In another wide, shallow pan or baking dish, spread out 1 cup of granulated sugar and warm it gently in the oven or on the stovetop, stirring often, until it feels almost dry to the touch and very hot.
Take care not to let the sugar caramelize or melt.
When both the juice and sugar are hot, quickly add the sugar to the lemon juice, mixing rapidly and continuously with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Keep stirring until the mixture thickens to the point where it will drop from a spoon onto a plate and hold its shape without running.
Spoon the mixture into small rounds on a sheet of parchment paper or a non-stick tray and allow to cool and set.
Optionally, add grated lemon or orange zest for extra aroma just before combining sugar and juice.
For orange cakes, follow the same method using orange juice.

Estimated Calories

80 per serving

Cooking Estimates

This recipe needs about 5 minutes to prepare your ingredients and workspace, and roughly 10 minutes to cook the sugar and juice together. Each serving is a sweet and tangy treat with about 80 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.