Walnut Cake (1897) ★★★★★

This recipe has no directions; just ingredients. But it is a sweet and simple cake, and all you have to do is add the ingredients in the order listed.

The recipe comes from a church-based community cookbook, which was actually the first locally authored cookbook in Prince Edward Island.

Original Recipe:

Walnut Cake
One cup sugar, half cup butter, two eggs, half cup sweet milk, one and one half cups flour, one and one half teaspoons baking powder, one large cup chopped walnuts.
Frosting - One and one half cups white sugar, half cup water, white of one egg.

Mrs. D. Farquharson

The Verdict:

I was really bummed because my cake stuck to the bottom of the pan! Somehow I managed to scoop out a piece that looked nice enough for a photo. I think maybe because I didn't flour my pan after I greased it? And because of the walnuts? Anyway, that has nothing to do with the taste, which was impressive for such a simple and easy to make cake. The cake itself was mild and chock full of nuts. The frosting was quite sweet, but incredibly fluffy. I really enjoyed the texture. That said, this cake needs no improvements, but it would definitely be good with some vanilla extract and perhaps some cinnamon or other spices. The frosting makes the perfect amount to frost the cake, but it is very sweet, so I would suggest not using all of it and only spreading a thin layer. 

Modernized Recipe:

(Adapted from The Jubilee Cook Book by the Ladies' Aid Society, First Methodist Church, Charlottetown)

1 cup SUGAR

1/2 cup BUTTER, softened

2 EGGS

1/2 cup MILK

1 1/2 cups FLOUR

1 1/2 teaspoons BAKING POWDER

1 cup WALNUTS, chopped

1 1/2 cups SUGAR

1/2 cup WATER

1 EGG WHITE

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9 inch cake pan.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until incorporated. Gently stir in the milk. Add the flour, baking powder, and walnuts and mix well.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

4. To make the frosting, stir the sugar and water in a medium saucepan until the sugar is melted. Boil for 2 minutes. While boiling, beat the egg white until frothy. When the sugar is ready, pour in a thin, steady stream into the egg white while beating. The frosting will be shiny and runny, but will firm up quickly, especially if popped in the fridge for a few minutes.