Apple Cake
From the treasured pages of Recipe book of Charles Ellice, Colonel, 24th Regiment
Written by Charles Ellice, Colonel
Apple Cake
"One Pound of Apple picked, quartered & cored. One Pound of Sugar boiled in a quarter of a pint of Cold Water with the juice and peel of a lemon and a little Seville orange the syrup to be added to the Apple and boiled till it becomes stiff. - Put it into a Mould if the Mould is hollow in the middle, you may put a Cream made of yolk of egg, cream, lemon peel, & sugar into it. or if not a custard may be put in the dish round the Apple. - Glynde. Jan: 1st 1857."
Note on the Original Text
The historical recipe is brief and pragmatic, assuming the reader's familiarity with kitchen processes of the time. Ingredient lists are embedded within the instructions, and weights are given in pounds and pints, the standard units for British cookery then—here converted to metric. Spellings (like 'pick'd', 'quarter'd', 'syrup') and phrasing ('becomes stiff', 'boiled till it becomes stiff') are typical of the period. The text omits precise oven temperatures and times, relying instead on the cook’s intuition to judge readiness by texture and appearance.
Title
Recipe book of Charles Ellice, Colonel, 24th Regiment (1856)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Charles Ellice, Colonel
Era
1856
Publisher
Colonel Charles Ellice
Background
A charming manuscript cookbook chronicling the culinary escapades of Colonel Charles Ellice during his globe-trotting military career, featuring recipes from Highland butter to yeastless bread, spicy curries, and even a dash of Victorian medicine—all penned alongside evocative ink sketches and a personal index.
Kindly made available by
McGill University
This recipe comes from a mid-19th century manuscript cookbook once owned by Colonel Charles Ellice, an officer in the British Army, and compiled over decades during his career. While Ellice was stationed in far-flung locations—including India—the core of the collection reflects the practical, resourceful nature of British domestic cookery during the Victorian era. The apple cake is typical of the period's taste for fruit preserves and custard-based desserts, designed to be both adaptable and celebratory, often formed in elaborate molds that showcased the household's culinary flair.
In the 1850s, this recipe would have been prepared using simple iron or copper saucepans, a sharp paring knife for peeling and coring the apples, a wooden spoon for stirring, and a sugar thermometer was rare—cooks relied on sight and experience. The molded apple cake would be set in a ceramic or metal mold, possibly elaborately shaped, and served on a platter with a jug or bowl for the custard. Heat would have come from a wood or coal-fired stove, lending a slow and steady simmer ideal for fruit preserves.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Servings
6
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 peeled, cored, and quartered apples (about 3 medium apples)
- 1 lb granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cold water
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp bitter (Seville) orange juice or substitute with 1 tbsp regular orange juice mixed with extra lemon juice
- Egg yolks (for the cream, about 2)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp extra sugar (for the cream or custard, about 2 tbsp)
- Lemon zest (for the cream/custard, optional)
Instructions
- Peel, quarter, and core 1 lb of fresh apples (any firm baking variety will do).
- In a saucepan, combine 1 lb of granulated sugar with 1/2 cup of cold water, the juice and grated zest of one lemon, and a tablespoon of bitter (Seville) orange juice or substitute with a mix of orange and lemon juice for tartness.
- Bring this mixture to a boil to create a fragrant syrup.
- Add the prepared apples to the syrup and simmer gently, stirring often, until the mixture becomes thick and cohesive, almost jam-like in texture, and holds its shape.
- Spoon the apple mixture into a decorative mold—if your mold has a central hollow, you may later fill it with a rich cream made from egg yolk, heavy cream, lemon zest, and sugar, gently heated until thickened.
- Otherwise, serve the apple cake unmolded with custard poured around it in the serving dish.
Estimated Calories
270 per serving
Cooking Estimates
You will need about 20 minutes to prepare the apples and ingredients. Cooking the apples in syrup takes around 35 minutes. Each serving has about 270 calories, and this recipe serves 6 people.
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.
Join the Discussion
Rate This Recipe
Den Bockfisch In Einer Fleisch Suppen Zu Kochen
This recipe hails from a German manuscript cookbook compiled in 1696, a time whe...
Die Grieß Nudlen Zumachen
This recipe comes from a rather mysterious manuscript cookbook, penned anonymous...
Ein Boudain
This recipe comes from an anonymous German-language manuscript cookbook from 169...
Ein Gesaltzen Citroni
This recipe, dating from 1696, comes from an extensive anonymous German cookbook...
Browse our complete collection of time-honored recipes