Recipe Manuscript

Clear Cakes Of Rasberryes

Name: Clear Cakes Of Rasberryes
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT20M
Yield: 24
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 500 g raspberries (fresh or frozen); 100 ml white currant juice (or substitute white grape juice for a similar mild tartness); 500 g granulated white sugar (superfine preferred); A small amount of water (to dissolve sugar for candying, about 2 tablespoons); Parchment paper or silicone molds (for setting and drying cakes)

1775

From the treasured pages of Cookery and medicinal recipes of M.W.

Unknown Author

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Advanced Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1775

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

Clear Cakes Of Rasberryes

"Take your Rasberryes mingled with some Juice of white Currants stran them through a Canvas bagg or strainer boyle your Juice and scum it, then take Just your weight in double refined sugar boyled to a Candy height. then put in your Juice, stir it tell your sugar be melted, but let it not boyle, put in your Clear Cake glass and set them into your stove with an even heat for a fortnight then turn them out upon glass plates & dry ye other side, or when both sides are dry lay them between papers for your Use"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a brisk, telegraphic style, omitting precise measures in favor of the proportional ('your weight in sugar') and presuming kitchen savvy. Spellings like 'boyle', 'stran', or 'tell' (for 'until') are typical of early 18th-century English and reflect a phonetic, non-standardized orthography. It provides minimal instruction on technique—assumes familiarity with sugar wares—and places emphasis on patience for the drying process ('a fortnight'). The lack of explicit temperatures and timings reflects both reliance on experience and the absence of modern equipment.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookery and medicinal recipes of M.W. - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookery and medicinal recipes of M.W. (1775)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1775

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful glimpse into British kitchens of yesteryear, this manuscript collection—attributed simply to 'M. W.'—whisks readers through cherished recipes and culinary wisdom passed down between 1700 and 1850. A treasure trove for those who savor the artistry of historical cookery.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from an English manuscript collection, attributed to 'M.W.' and dating from roughly 1700 to 1850. The 'clear cakes' are an early form of fruit jelly confection, predating modern jellied sweets like Turkish delight or pâte de fruit. They reflect the prestige of sugar in Georgian and Regency England, when preserving the vibrant tastes and colors of summer fruits was a balance of science, artistry, and display. In country houses and urban kitchens alike, such candies were served at dessert tables and as gifts, revealing both the abundance of the estate and the skill of its cooks. Double-refined sugar, white currants, and specialized glassware for setting the jellies show this was a recipe for the well-provisioned.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original cook would have used a heavy copper or brass preserving pan for boiling the juice and sugar, a canvas bag or fine muslin for straining, wooden spoons for stirring, and a set of 'clear cake glasses'—shallow glass molds for shaping the finished jellies. A cool, gently heated 'stove' (either a bread oven cooling from prior baking, or a warming cupboard) would provide the low, stable temperature required for long drying over weeks. Glass plates were used for final drying, and paper for storage.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

20 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 lb raspberries (fresh or frozen)
3.4 fl oz white currant juice (or substitute white grape juice for a similar mild tartness, about 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
1 lb granulated white sugar (superfine preferred)
A small amount of water (to dissolve sugar for candying, about 2 tablespoons)
Parchment paper or silicone molds (for setting and drying cakes)

Instructions

Start by mixing fresh raspberries (about 1 pound) with the juice of white currants (about 3.4 fl oz or 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon).
Strain this mixture through a fine sieve or cheesecloth to remove the pulp and seeds, yielding a clear, richly colored juice.
In a saucepan, boil the juice gently and skim off any foam that rises to the top.
Separately, weigh your juice and measure out an equal weight of double-refined white sugar (1 pound for 1 pint juice).
Bring the sugar and a small splash of water to candy stage (about 300–310°F on a candy thermometer).
Once the sugar reaches this stage, quickly stir in the raspberry-current juice until the sugar is fully dissolved, being careful NOT to let it boil further.
Pour the mixture into small silicone molds or shallow trays (historically, 'clear cake glasses'), creating cakes 3/8–3/4 inch thick.
Place the filled molds in a slightly warm oven set to its lowest possible temperature (or a dehydrator set around 104°F) for up to two weeks, until the cakes set and dry.
Once the tops are firm, turn the cakes out, place them on parchment or glass to dry the other side.
When both sides are dry, layer the candies between parchment paper to store.

Estimated Calories

110 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend about 15 minutes preparing the fruit and juice, and another 20 minutes actively cooking the sugar and mixing in the juice. Setting and drying the candies takes much longer (up to 2 weeks), but this is not active time.

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.