Raspberry Cakes
From the treasured pages of Receipt book of Elizabeth Smith
Written by Elizabeth Smith
Raspberry Cakes
"Take three q of a pound of Raſberries, & as much Red Currant juice as will make it up a pud, q you muſt ſtrip & Boil y Currants & run y thro a jelly Bagon, put y Raſberries & Currant juice into y Preſerving Bagon, & let y Boil very quick till they are very Thick & all the Raſberries Boild to Pieces, y put y into y china Baſon, & take y Preſerving Bagon have clean, q put into it a pound of fine Sugar Beat, wth 3 ſpoonfuls of Water ſet it on an Exceeding ſlow Fire, & keep it Stirring till it is all Diſolved & Comes to ſugar again, q put in y raſberries, & keep Stirring & till it is very well mixd, all y Sugar Diſolved q till it is almoſt Cold, q put y into Glaſes, & ſet y in a Stove to Candy. It muſt not be ſet over y fire after y fruit is put into the Sugar."
Note on the Original Text
The old recipe uses abbreviations such as 'q' for 'quantity', 'y' for 'the', and 'wth' for 'with', reflective of the period's idiosyncratic orthography. Spelling was fluid, and recipes were written for readers already familiar with basic kitchen processes—terms like 'Bason' (bowl) and 'Bagon' (possibly 'bason', meaning basin or preserving pan) reflect historical kitchen language. Instructions presuppose knowledge: 'let y Boil very quick' means boil rapidly; 'to candy' means to let set and dry until the surface is crystalline.
Title
Receipt book of Elizabeth Smith (1775)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Elizabeth Smith
Era
1775
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Step into the refined kitchens of the late 18th century with Elizabeth Smith, whose culinary wisdom offers a charming taste of Georgian elegance and time-honored recipes to delight any palate.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe hails from the late 18th century (circa 1749-1800), attributed to Elizabeth Smith, who would have been preparing confections at a time when fruit preservation was a prized domestic art. Sugar was expensive, and such 'cakes' were likely sumptuous treats. These were not cake as we conceive today, but more like fruit pastilles or candies, designed both for enjoyment and for showcasing delicate preservation techniques. In Georgian England, such recipes were exchanged among genteel women and written in manuscript cookbooks, both as records of domestic skill and as tokens of hospitality.
Historically, the cook would have used brass or copper preserving pans for boiling the fruit, a jelly bag (fine muslin or cloth sack) for straining the currants, a wooden spoon for stirring, and a china basin for mixing. The sugar would be beaten or pounded with a pestle, and the mixture would be spooned into glass jars or porcelain dishes. Candied or 'cakes' would be set in a warm, dry spot—often a kitchen stove or plate-warmer—to dry and candy, a precursor to our modern dehydrators or low ovens.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Servings
8
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
- 12 ounces fresh raspberries
- 3.5 fluid ounces red currant juice (from about 7 ounces red currants, or substitute with store-bought unsweetened red currant juice)
- 16 ounces (1 pound) fine caster sugar
- 1.5 fluid ounces water (3 tablespoons)
Instructions
- To prepare these delightful Raspberry Cakes with modern ingredients and methods, start by taking approximately 12 ounces (three-quarters of a pound) of fresh raspberries.
- Boil fresh red currants (about 3.5 fluid ounces juice is sufficient) and press them through a fine sieve or cheesecloth to extract the juice, discarding the skins and seeds.
- Combine the raspberries and currant juice in a saucepan and boil rapidly, stirring frequently, until the mixture is very thick and the raspberries are completely broken down.
- Set this mixture aside.
- In a clean saucepan, take 1 pound (16 ounces) of caster sugar with 1.5 fluid ounces (three tablespoons) of water, and heat gently over very low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and then crystallizes again (a process akin to making fondant or recooked sugar).
- Return the raspberry-currant mixture to the pan with the sugar and stir continuously off direct heat until everything is well combined, all the sugar is dissolved, and the mixture is nearly cold.
- Spoon the mixture into small glass jars or ramekins.
- Leave the jars, uncovered, in a warm, dry place (such as a low oven or dehydrator set to about 105°F), to allow the top to candy and set.
- Do not heat the mixture directly after combining the fruit and sugar, as this can affect the final texture.
Estimated Calories
220 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 10 minutes to prepare the ingredients, 20 minutes to cook the fruit and sugar, and about 220 calories per serving if split into 8 portions.
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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