Recipe Manuscript

To Make A Seed Cake

Name: To Make A Seed Cake
Prep time: PTPT40M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 16
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1.36 kg all-purpose flour; 900 g caraway comfits (if unavailable: 100 g caraway seeds + 800 g candied peel or almonds as substitute); 14 egg yolks; 4 egg whites; 900 g unsalted butter (unwashed, i.e., direct from the churn; use regular unsalted butter in modern kitchens); 30 g fresh yeast or 14 g active dry yeast; 250 ml whole milk (warmed); Icing: 150 g icing sugar + 1 egg white (for glazing)

1700

From the treasured pages of Receipt book

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Advanced Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1700

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

To Make A Seed Cake

"take 3 pound of flower to 2 pound of Caraway Comfitts 14 yolkes of eggs and 4 whites 3 pound of butterr unwashed then rub your butterr with with 2 partes of the flower well the other part mould it with yeast a litle warm'd with milke as you doe your french bread and then mould it altogether and put it into the oven with a hoop or paper an hour is enough in a quick oven but not burnt it and when it is almost enough take it and Ice it and put it in again till the Ice be dry"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written without standardized measurements and expects the cook to have experience with bread and cake-making. Spelling is variable: 'flower' for 'flour'; 'comfitts' meaning sugar-coated seeds; 'French bread' referenced as a type of enriched bread dough. Instructions are terse, assuming the reader knows the basics of working with yeast and dough development. Ovens were uncalibrated, so phrases like 'quick oven' and watching for burning were essential cues. The recipe includes an 'icing' step, likely a simple egg white and sugar glaze, set by a final return to the oven.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Receipt book - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Receipt book (1700)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1700

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful glimpse into the kitchens of the early 18th century, this historic culinary manuscript promises a feast of recipes, remedies, and perhaps a pinch of mystery. Expect both practical fare and elegant inspiration for the curious cook.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from England, around the year 1700, a period when rich, yeasted cakes flavored with spices and seeds were a mark of festivity and conviviality. Seed cake was especially popular during the later Stuart and early Georgian eras, often enjoyed at tea or as part of hospitality rituals. The amount of butter and eggs reflects both wealth and the celebratory nature of the dish. The recipe was transcribed in a household recipe collection, a common practice among literate women managing kitchens in large homes. Recipes were copied and exchanged, with variations reflecting local ingredients and tastes.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Historically, this cake would have been made using large ceramic or wooden bowls for mixing and kneading. The butter was 'unwashed,' coming directly from churning and not rinsed in cold water, which sometimes lent a slight tang from remaining buttermilk. Mixing was typically done by hand, with plenty of manual labor involved. The dough was baked in a wood-fired or coal-fired brick oven, in a hoop (a metal or wood ring to form the cake) or with paper lining to prevent sticking—greased baking tins are modern equivalents. A hearth or built-in oven would have been heated in advance, and baked goods monitored closely for doneness, with icing set by returning briefly to the oven’s gentle heat.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

40 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

3 lb all-purpose flour
2 lb caraway comfits (if unavailable: 3 1/2 oz caraway seeds + 1 3/4 lb candied peel or almonds as substitute)
14 egg yolks
4 egg whites
2 lb unsalted butter (unwashed, i.e., direct from the churn; use regular unsalted butter in modern kitchens)
1 oz fresh yeast or 0.5 oz active dry yeast
1 cup whole milk (warmed)
Icing: 5 oz confectioners’ sugar + 1 egg white (for glazing)

Instructions

Begin by taking 3 lb of all-purpose flour and divide it into two parts.
Mix 2 lb (4 sticks) of unsalted butter (use it straight from the fridge for texture) with two-thirds of the flour, rubbing it together until it forms soft crumbs.
To the remaining one-third of the flour, add 1 oz fresh yeast (or 2 sachets/0.5 oz active dry yeast), dissolved in about 1 cup (8 fl oz) of warm milk (about blood temperature).
Mix this portion just as you would for a French-style enriched bread dough, then bring all the mix together into one dough.
In a separate bowl, whisk 14 egg yolks with 4 egg whites, and stir this into the dough.
Add 2 lb (about 4 1/2 cups) caraway comfits (sugar-coated caraway seeds; if unavailable, use 3 1/2 oz plain caraway seeds, 1 3/4 lb mixed candied fruits, or slivered almonds for a modern stand-in).
Knead everything together briefly, then tip it into a lined cake tin or hoop.
Bake at 350°F in a preheated oven for about 1 hour or until set and golden but not burnt.
When nearly done, glaze the cake with a sugar icing (mix of confectioners’ sugar and egg white), return to oven for a few minutes to set the icing, then cool before serving.

Estimated Calories

600 per serving

Cooking Estimates

This recipe makes a large, rich cake. You will need about 40 minutes to prepare all the ingredients and mix the dough. The cake needs around 1 hour in the oven to bake fully. Each serving has about 600 calories; the whole cake serves 16 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.