Recipe Manuscript

To Make Short Cakes

Name: To Make Short Cakes
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT25M
Yield: 20
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 8 egg yolks; 450 grams granulated sugar; 500 grams plain wheat flour; 475 ml clotted cream (or substitute with unsalted butter, softened); 1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1675

From the treasured pages of Medicinal and cookery recipes by John King

Written by John King

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1675

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

To Make Short Cakes

"Take 8 yoalkes of eggs and beate them then take a pound of sugar and a quart of flower and a pinter of clowted creame or els butterr and a little mace mingle all this togeather till it be paste and so make your cakes but let not your oven bee too hott because your cakes bee but thinner."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes of this era are concise and assume a cook’s familiarity with basic baking methods, rarely providing detailed instructions or temperatures. Quantities are given in household measures—pounds, quarts, pints—and sometimes in approximate terms. Spelling reflects contemporary norms ('yoalkes' for yolks, 'clowted creame' for clotted cream, 'flower' for flour), and punctuation is sparse or absent. Instructions rely on sensory cues and personal judgement, trusting the reader’s intuition and experience in the kitchen.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Medicinal and cookery recipes by John King - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Medicinal and cookery recipes by John King (1675)

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

Writer

John King

Era

1675

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful journey into the kitchens of the 17th and early 18th centuries, this collection, attributed to John King, brims with time-honored recipes, culinary wisdom, and flavors that once graced historic tables.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe for 'short cakes' comes from the English household manuscript V.a.490, attributed to John King (1696–1728), and dating from roughly 1625 to 1725—a period bustling with culinary innovation and the blossoming of refined baking. Short cakes were part of a broader family of rich, sweetened biscuit and cake recipes favored in English households. The use of egg yolks, sugar, and clotted cream or butter speaks to the wealthier end of the social spectrum, as these ingredients were expensive and highly valued. The addition of mace, a spice derived from nutmeg, further marks this as a luxury item for the historical table.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the early modern English kitchen, cooks prepared doughs like this by hand, using wooden or earthenware bowls and large spoons. Eggs and sugar were beaten with a whisk or even bundled twigs. The dough would be shaped with knives, cutters, or simply rolled by hand. Baking took place in a brick or stone oven, heated with wood, with temperature judged by experience—often by observing how long you could hold your hand inside the oven. Flat baking stones or simple metal sheets acted as trays.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

25 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

8 egg yolks
1 pound (about 2 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
1 quart (about 4 cups) plain wheat flour
1 pint (2 cups) clotted cream (or substitute with unsalted butter, softened)
1/4 teaspoon ground mace

Instructions

Begin by separating 8 egg yolks and whisking them until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine 1 pound (about 2 1/4 cups) of granulated sugar with 1 quart (about 4 cups) of plain wheat flour.
Next, add 1 pint (2 cups) of clotted cream—if clotted cream is unavailable, use unsalted butter at room temperature in the same amount.
Incorporate a pinch (about 1/4 teaspoon) of ground mace.
Mix these ingredients together to form a soft, cohesive dough.
Roll or pat the dough out to about 1/4–1/2 inch thick and cut into rounds or shapes as desired.
Lay the cakes on a baking tray lined with parchment.
Bake in a moderate oven at 320°F (160°C) until lightly golden.
Do not over-bake; these should remain pale and delicately tender.
Let the cakes cool before serving.
These 'short cakes' are rich, buttery, and gently spiced, ideal for afternoon tea or a historical treat.

Estimated Calories

230 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 20 minutes to prepare the dough and shape the short cakes. Baking takes another 20–25 minutes. Each cake contains about 230 calories, and this recipe makes about 20 cakes.

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.