Recipe Manuscript

To Make A Feed Cake Mrs Tauerners Way

Name: To Make A Feed Cake Mrs Tauerners Way
Prep time: PTPT25M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 16
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 450g plain flour; 450g unsalted butter; 12 eggs (6 whole, 6 yolks only); 90ml fresh ale yeast (substitute: 30g fresh baker’s yeast or 10g dry yeast, dissolved in milk); 180ml heavy cream, warmed to about 37°C; 450g caster sugar; 20g caraway seeds

1695

From the treasured pages of Cookery and medicinal recipes of the Granville family from Worcestershire and Cadiz

Written by Granville family

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1695

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

To Make A Feed Cake Mrs Tauerners Way

"To a pound of flower you must take a pound of butterr you must drye your flower very well, then rub your butterr into it, then take six Spoonefuls of the best ale yest and twelve egges takeing away 6 whites beat all this very well together with your hand mixing al much cream blood warm at will weede it, when it is well beaten altogether you must cover it with a clean cloath and Left it stand by the fire to rise about half an hower then take a pound of Sugar Carroways and ftrow them in with your hand mixing them well together then put it into a hoop with paper under it which with the hoop must be butterred that the cake Stick not then tye the paper close up to the hoop that the cake run not out at the Egges, it must stand in the ouen a bout an hower, the ouen must be pretty quick and you must have a care of fcorching it"

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is written in the typical style of early modern English cookery—the order of instructions reflects what was considered obvious to a skilled cook: process first, measurements and details as needed. Spelling was not standardized, so words like 'flower' (flour), 'yest' (yeast), 'ouen' (oven), and 'fcorching' (scorching) appear. Ingredients assumed a certain familiarity, with quantities often given in 'pounds' and 'spoonfuls.' Directions such as 'rub your butter in,' 'cover it with a clean cloath,' and 'stand by the fire to rise' speak to techniques still vital in traditional baking.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookery and medicinal recipes of the Granville family from Worcestershire and Cadiz - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookery and medicinal recipes of the Granville family from Worcestershire and Cadiz (1695)

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

Writer

Granville family

Era

1695

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful journey through the culinary traditions of the Granville family, this historical recipe collection serves up a taste of English kitchens from the 17th and early 18th centuries. Brimming with time-honored techniques and flavors, it invites modern readers to savor the spirited inventiveness of early modern home cooks.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from a manuscript connected to the Granville family, dating from around 1640 to 1750. Such cakes—sometimes called 'seed cakes'—were popular in English households of the period, flavored with caraway and leavened with ale yeast, a common leavening before the widespread adoption of baking powder. Recipes like this would have been baked in large, open-hearth kitchens as part of the social and culinary life of a well-to-do household. The rich proportions and inclusion of many eggs and butter mark this as a festive cake, not everyday fare—perhaps for a celebration or a special gathering.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the baker would use a wooden trough or large bowl for mixing, rubbing fat into flour by hand. The eggs would be beaten with a fork or by hand, and the cream gently warmed near the fire. The cake would be baked in a metal hoop (a bottomless cake ring), set on a wooden or tin baking sheet lined with buttered paper to prevent sticking. The cake was placed in a 'quick' (hot) brick or stone oven, carefully watched to avoid burning.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

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 plain flour
1 lb unsalted butter
12 eggs (6 whole, 6 yolks only)
6 tbsp (3 fl oz) fresh ale yeast (substitute: 1 oz fresh baker’s yeast or 1/3 oz dry yeast, dissolved in milk)
6 fl oz heavy cream, warmed to about 98°F
1 lb caster sugar
3/4 oz caraway seeds

Instructions

To make Mrs.
Tauerners' feed cake, begin by ensuring your flour is dry (you can gently warm it in the oven if needed).
Rub 1 lb of unsalted butter into 1 lb of plain flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
In a seperate bowl, whisk together 12 eggs, removing 6 of the whites (so 12 yolks and 6 whites).
Add 6 tablespoons (about 3 fl oz) of fresh baker’s yeast (or substitute with 1 oz of active fresh yeast or 1/3 oz dry yeast, dissolved in a little warm milk).
Warm 6 fl oz of heavy cream to body temperature (about 98°F)—it should feel just warm to the touch, not hot.
Mix the eggs, yeast, and cream together, then combine with the flour-butter mixture.
Beat thoroughly by hand until smooth.
Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
After rising, add 1 lb of caster sugar and 2 tablespoons (about ¾ oz) of caraway seeds, mixing well by hand.
Line a cake hoop or springform tin with buttered baking paper, making sure the paper goes up the sides to prevent sticking or leakage.
Pour in the cake batter, tie or fold the paper up around the edge, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about an hour, checking after 45 minutes to avoid scorching.
The cake is ready when golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Estimated Calories

430 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 25 minutes to prepare all the ingredients and mix the dough. Baking takes about 1 hour. The cake makes 16 generous servings. Each serving is about 430 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.