Blueberry-Cake (1870) ★★★

8:30 AM 1870s , 19th century , 3 stars , A Helping Hand for Town and Country , dessert , fruit , united states , victorian 3 Comments

While I was searching around for blueberry cake recipes, I came across some short story about a pet fly named John. Completely unrelated, but amusing nonetheless!
Anyway, this cake is probably a little out of season, but for some reason I have a TON of blueberries in my freezer, so of course the natural solution is cake!

Original Recipe:

The Verdict:

This cake turned out very dense; like a bread. I also undercooked it, which was because I piled all the batter into one 9" cake pan and it was way too much. Silly mistake. I tried some of the cooked outside, and it wasn't bad. It was very plain, though. Overall, it was an easy recipe. I would eat it by choice as is, but it could definitely do with some improvements. I give it 3 stars.

Modernized Recipe:

(Adapated from A Helping Hand for Town and Country: An American Home Book of Practical and Scientific Information)

1 cup SUGAR
3 EGGS
1/2 cup BUTTER, melted
1 cup MILK
1/2 teaspoon CREAM OF TARTAR
1 teaspoon BAKING SODA
4 cups FLOUR
BLUEBERRIES, lightly coated in flour
Optional: vanilla extract, cinnamon, lemon zest, orange zest, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour two 9" cake pans or a 9x13 pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and the eggs. Add the melted butter and milk. Add any optional flavouring at this time.
3. Separately, mix together the cream of tartar, baking soda, and flour. Stir into the batter. Add the blueberries last and gently fold in.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes (just an estimate, check doneness with a toothpick). My suggestion is to serve with frosting between layers and/or on top.