To Make Sugar Cakes Or Tumballs
From the treasured pages of Cookery and medicinal recipes of M.W.
Unknown Author
To Make Sugar Cakes Or Tumballs
"Take 2 lb of flower, dry it and Searce it very fine, & take a pound of loaf Sugar, and beat it very fine and searce it well then mingle your flower and Sugar very well and take 1/2 a lb of sweet butterr wash out the Salt, & break it into bitts in: your flour and Sugar, the take ye Yolks of 4 new laid Eggs and 4 or 5 Spoonfulls of Sack and 1/4 of Cream grate a Nutmeg into ye Eggs Sack & beat 'em altogether, put 'em into ye Flour, & knead em to a past, & make em into what fashion you please & lay em upon papers, put 'em into the oven & be Carefull, for a very litle thing bakes 'em, for Tumballs you must only add 2 or 3 Whites of Eggs"
Note on the Original Text
The recipe, like many from its time, is written in a conversational, instruction-driven style with little concern for modern measurements or temperatures. Ingredients are referenced by weight (pounds) and measures like 'spoonfuls' or 'quarters,' requiring cooks to use their intuition. Spellings ('searce' for 'sieve', 'Sack' for sherry, 'ye' for 'the') and phrasing are typical of 18th-century English, with the long 's' often resembling 'f' in original manuscripts. Instructions are direct but assume a base knowledge of working with dough and using a hearth oven—making place for improvisation and adaptation that modern recipes tend to eliminate.
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
This recipe comes from a manuscript likely penned between 1700 and 1850, signed 'M. W.' and found in collection V.b.316. During this era, English cooks both at home and in grand households delighted in transforming sugar and flour into fashionable treats such as sugar cakes. These were small, sweet biscuits made to accompany tea or to be given as dainty gifts. The reference to 'Sack' signals the popularity of fortified wines in English culinary culture of the time. Sugar cakes and tumballs would have been considered a genteel indulgence, emblematic of a time when refined sugar and imported wine were both status symbols and culinary staples.
In the original kitchen, flour and sugar would be sifted with a fine sieve. Butter was 'washed' to remove salt before use. Mixing was performed by hand, either in wooden bowls or on large work surfaces. The dough was kneaded and shaped by hand. Baking was done in a wood-fired or coal oven, and the cakes were placed onto sheets of paper (sometimes buttered) instead of modern baking parchment or trays. Precision was based on experience rather than timers or thermometers.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Servings
24
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
- 2 pounds plain flour (all-purpose flour), sifted
- 1 pound white granulated sugar (substitute for loaf sugar), sifted
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons sherry (substitute for sack; can use sweet or dry sherry)
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 whole nutmeg, finely grated
- For Tumballs: 2–3 large egg whites (additional)
Instructions
- Begin by sifting 2 pounds of plain flour to ensure it is very fine and free of lumps.
- Take 1 pound of white granulated sugar (as a substitute for loaf sugar), and sift this well too.
- Mix the flour and sugar together thoroughly in a large bowl.
- Next, add 8 ounces of unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces, to the flour and sugar.
- Rub the butter into the mixture with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- In a separate bowl, beat together 4 egg yolks, 4 tablespoons of sherry (as a modern equivalent to sack, a historical fortified wine), 4 tablespoons of heavy cream, and the grated zest of one whole nutmeg.
- Once fully combined, pour this wet mixture into the dry mixture and knead gently into a soft dough.
- Shape the dough into small rounds or any desired form and place them onto baking parchment on a tray.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10–15 minutes, watching closely as they bake very quickly and should remain pale with just a hint of golden color.
- For 'Tumballs,' simply add 2 or 3 beaten egg whites to the dough before shaping, which will make the cakes a little lighter and perhaps crisper.
Estimated Calories
180 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It usually takes about 20 minutes to prepare the dough and shape the cakes, and 10–15 minutes to bake them. Each serving is about 180 calories if you divide the recipe into 24 cookies.
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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