Torta Blanca Delicia
"White Delight Cake"
From the treasured pages of Recetas no 1 de Susana de Sánchez Irazoqui
Written by Irazoqui, Susana de Sánchez
Torta Blanca Delicia
"Cantidades tres tazas harina cernida taza y media azucar las claras de 7 huevos 1 taza de leche fresca 2 cucharadas de mantequilla 2 cucharaditas de levadura de crema de el Dr. Price y una cucharita de extracto de vainilla. Batanse la mantequilla y el azucar hasta que se forme una crema añadase a ella la leche y los huevos bien batidos agreguese despues el extracto, y mezclese con esta lentamente las tres tazas de harina en la cual habra sido mezclada la levadura pongase en un horno bien caliente se cubre con betun."
English Translation
"Quantities: Three cups sifted flour, one and a half cups sugar, the whites of 7 eggs, 1 cup fresh milk, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons Dr. Price's cream of tartar baking powder, and one teaspoon vanilla extract. Cream the butter and sugar together until a cream is formed. Add to it the milk and well-beaten eggs. Then add the extract, and slowly mix in the three cups of flour in which the baking powder has been mixed. Place in a very hot oven. Cover with frosting."
Note on the Original Text
Like many recipes of its era, the Torta Blanca Delicia is presented as a list of sequential actions—a rhythm of the kitchen, built from practiced memory rather than strict measures or times. Quantities use the common cup-and-spoon system popular in North American cookery; 'taza' refers to the household cup, roughly 240 ml. The reference to 'levadura de crema de el Dr. Price' is to a popular brand of baking powder, a relatively new arrival which replaced older souring and leavening techniques. Spelling is fluid ('batanse' for 'bátanse', 'betun' for 'betún'), reflecting both regional orthography and the informality of manuscript notation.
Title
Recetas no 1 de Susana de Sánchez Irazoqui (1915)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Irazoqui, Susana de Sánchez
Era
1915
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A charming handwritten collection capturing early 20th-century Mexican home cookery, these intimate recipes from Durango offer a delicious glimpse into tradition and change, lovingly compiled by generations of women.
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
This Torta Blanca Delicia recipe was penned in 1915 by Susana de Sánchez Irazoqui, part of a family of women in Durango, Mexico, who kept manuscript cookbooks reflecting their daily lives during times of transformation. Their recipes open a window onto the domestic practices and tastes of early 20th-century bourgeois households, where imported ingredients like baking powder and refined sugar signaled both new culinary aspirations and global connections. This cake, distinguished by its whiteness—a mark of refinement—would have graced tables at family gatherings and special occasions, celebrating the merging of tradition and modernity.
In 1915, the cook would have relied on hand-cranked sifters for flour, large ceramic or wooden bowls, and sturdy whisks or molinillos to beat eggs completely by hand. The creaming of butter and sugar demanded patience and a wooden spoon. Baking took place in a wood-fired or coal oven, with careful attention paid to maintaining a 'bien caliente' (well-heated) environment. Cakes were often baked in tinned steel or ceramic molds, with the doneness judged by sight and smell rather than timers.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Servings
12
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
- 3 cups (375 grams) sifted plain wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
- 7 large egg whites (about 7.4 ounces)
- 1 cup (240 ml) fresh whole milk
- 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons (0.35 ounces) baking powder (modern substitute for Dr. Price's cream of tartar baking powder)
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- White icing (betún), for covering
Instructions
- Begin by sifting together 3 cups of plain wheat flour with 2 teaspoons (0.35 ounces) of baking powder.
- In a large bowl, cream 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of softened butter with 1 1/2 cups of white sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Gradually add 1 cup of fresh whole milk and the well-beaten egg whites of 7 large eggs (approximately 7.4 ounces), mixing thoroughly after each addition.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
- Gently fold in the sifted flour and baking powder mixture, taking care not to deflate the egg whites.
- Pour the batter into a greased cake tin and bake in a well-preheated oven at 350°F until the cake is set and lightly golden on top, about 35-45 minutes.
- Once cooled, top with your favorite white icing (betún) to finish.
Estimated Calories
250 per serving
Cooking Estimates
You need about 20 minutes to mix and prepare the batter, and then the cake bakes for 40 minutes. Each slice has around 250 calories, and the recipe makes 12 servings.
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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