Finding myself with some unexpected and treasured time alone in the kitchen this week, waiting for my bread to rise (see Pane Francese post), I thought it might be a good time to bake something sweet. I began the cookbook search and settled on a recipe for Old-Fashioned Pound Cake, published in 1917 in my Ryzon Baking Book. I wondered how old the recipe had to be for it to be considered "old-fashioned" in 1917.
As part of the Vintage Kitchen Challenge, I'm determined to cook pretty much as they would have when these cookbooks are published, and after two recipes, all I'm really sure of is that I am a complete wuss. This recipe calls for 5 eggs to be beaten until they are "very light". It did ask me to use an egg beater, which I don't own, so I got to work with a wire whisk, thinking that my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer probably was not part of a typical kitchen in 1917. I whisked away until my arm had a knot in it, maybe 2 minutes in, switched hands, switched hands again and again and again. I decided that I would whisk for 10 minutes, all the time wondering if I was going to start resembling Popeye after a few weeks of vintage baking. All I would need is an anchor tattooed on my forearm and I'd be all set. Ten painful minutes later, my eggs were lighter, I'm not sure I would call them "very light", but they were going to have to do.
This is an unusual recipe in that the first step is to cream the butter with the flour. I have creamed lots of butter with sugar and sometimes eggs, but I had never seen a recipe where butter and flour were used together like this and it was kind of difficult to get the lumps out once the eggs were added. The recipe also called for Orange Flower Water, which I actually had in the cupboard, but had never used. I liked what it added though, more of a fragrance than a flavor. Light and elegant, like something you might be served at a formal tea party.
This is a terrific recipe. Lightly sweet, with a tight crumb, it is a great summertime snack. It was wonderful with ice cream and tonight I'm going to
grill some slices to eat with fresh peaches for dessert.
I'm liking the Vintage Cooking, maybe I'm on to something here.....
Old Fashioned Pound Cake
from the Ryzon Baking Book, published 1917
2/3 cupful (51/4 ounces) butter
2 level cupfuls (1/2 pound) flour
1 level teaspoonful Baking Powder
Pinch salt
1 cupful (1/2 pint) eggs - 5 eggs usually fill a cup, measure before beating
11/2 level cupfuls (12 ounces) sugar
2 tablespoonfuls orange flower water
Cream butter with flour. Add baking powder and salt to eggs and beat them until very light with an egg beater. Add sugar gradually, and beat well. Add egg mixture to creamed flour, using a wooden spoon, until all is mixed. Add orange flower water, and beat thoroughly with long, light strokes. Turn into a greased and floured shallow cake tin, and bake in a moderate oven for one hour.
Sufficient for one cake ( for ten to twelve people)
Comments