Spiced Cake
This spiced cake recipe from 1900 offers a comforting taste of history with its warm, aromatic spices and tender crumb. The combination of cinnamon, cloves, and mace creates a rich and inviting flavor profile, perfect for a cozy afternoon treat. This classic cake is baked in a loaf pan and finished with a simple sugar icing, offering a satisfyingly sweet and spiced experience.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Butter
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 2/3 cup Buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice/vinegar) (Originally sour milk. Substituted with buttermilk for modern preference.)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Mace
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda (Originally soda (historical name for baking soda).)
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Egg White
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar (for icing) (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
- 1 tablespoon Milk (for icing) (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
Instructions
- 1In a large bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugar and egg yolks, mixing well until combined. In a separate bowl, mix and sift together the dry ingredients: cinnamon, cloves, mace, baking soda, and flour.
- 2Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. Add the vanilla extract and the stiffly beaten egg white, gently folding until just combined.
- 3Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a loaf cake pan with waxed paper. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- 4While the cake is cooling, whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Once the cake has cooled, cover with the icing.