THE ORIGINAL ‘RECEIPT’

LIGHT TEA CAKE.

Beat the whites and yolks of two eggs separately;  take two thirds of a cup of thick, sweet cream, a cup of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt; put in the yolks and whip these ingredients briskly;  then sift in a rounded-up cup of flour in which has been stirred a teaspoonful of baking powder; add the whites of the eggs, and flavor to suit the taste.

~The Farmer’s Advocate. London, Ontario: William Weld, Editor and Proprietor, March, 1875. (“Minnie May’s Department”)

THE UPDATED RECIPE

• 2 eggs, separated
• ⅔ c. whipping cream
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 ¼ c. sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. brandy, or other flavouring.

Preheat oven to 325F.

Grease a 4 ½ by 9-inch loaf tin with butter.

Sift the flour and measure it; then add the baking powder to it and blend; sift together.

Separate the eggs; in a mixing bowl, beat the whites with a rotary beater until they form firm peaks.

In another bowl, beat the yolks with a beater until they are frothy and lemon-coloured.

In another mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream lightly with a rotary beater, and gradually add the sugar and salt; continue beating until well blended.

Then add the beaten egg yolks, and beat all together.

Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the batter mixture, and beat in thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth.

Add the egg whites and flavouring, and beat until the batter is light and smooth.

Put the batter into the buttered cake tin, and smooth the surface with a broad-bladed knife.

Bake in a preheated oven at 325F for approximately 50 minutes, or until the cake is lightly golden, and a cake-tester, when inserted into the centre of the cake, comes out clean.

Take the cake from the oven, and allow it to cool slightly on a rack for a few minutes.

Then, loosen the edges of the cake with a sharp knife, and gently remove the cake from the pan.

Allow the Tea Cake to completely cool on a rack, and then ice it.

This is a small, rich, and light cake, and it can be easily prepared; it is particularly nice when frosted with Jelly Icing.

Rosewater, Vanilla Extract, Lemon Brandy, Nutmeg Extract or Essence of Almonds may all be substituted for the brandy, to vary the recipe, according to your preference.

A note from Patricia: With Valentine’s Day coming up, I thought a cake was in order, and this Light Tea Cake seemed like a small and easy and lovely one. I didn’t go gluten-free with this one…. I used regular all-purpose flour as I was out of gluten-free flour, and I figured if I just had a taste, then I could give the rest away to a friend and not have to worry about eating an entire cake (I’ve done it before and my pants no longer fit). I whipped up a batch of the Jelly Icing once my cake had cooled, cut off the rounded top of the cake, cut the cake in half, slathered Apple Jelly on one half, and then piled the other half on top. I then iced the whole thing. It was a lovely cake – it was moist and airy and tasty, and the jelly in the middle was a nice touch if I do say so myself. The Jelly Icing was incredible as well – it was a gloriously fluffy, marshmallow-y, voluminous, spreadable, cooked frosting that was a breeze to make, and was the prettiest pink colour. Who knew that a 2-ingredient frosting could taste so good?!? To add some extra decoration, I melted down some white chocolate chips, added pink food colouring, and then spread the melted goo onto parchment paper in the shape of hearts. Once they cooled and hardened, I used them to decorate the top of the cake. Adorable. 

To know when a cake is sufficiently baked, insert a knitting needle or clean broom corn; draw it out, and if it does not look the least sticky, the baking is finished.

~Warren, Jane.  The Economical Cook Book.  New York: Hurst and Company, 1890.