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12-27-2024 10:27 AM - edited 12-27-2024 10:29 AM
Thomas Jefferson may get credit for popularizing ice cream in the U.S., but Abraham Lincoln had his own dessert of choice: a simple yet elegant vanilla almond cake.
Finding a recipe from over 150 years ago might sound impossible, but lucky for us, the internet has our backs. The recipe for Lincoln’s favorite cake appears in the 1974 "American Family Cookbook."
This vanilla almond cake, topped with a fluffy white icing, proves that even though our means of accessing a recipe might have changed since Lincoln’s day, it looks like our taste in desserts remains relatively unchanged.
The recipe claims Mary Todd Lincoln baked this cake for Abraham before they were married. He declared it “the best in Kentucky,” and, well, the rest is history.
It’s easy to see why this cake captured Lincoln’s heart. Its soft texture, almond flavor, and delicate frosting are timeless. And with accessible ingredients and straightforward instructions, it’s a dessert any home cook can recreate today.
The cake itself is simple and familiar, but it does have one ingredient that stands out: sliced almonds, mixed directly into the batter. This addition adds a subtle interesting texture crunch, in a good way.
If you’re unsure about almonds in your cake, you could always sprinkle them on top instead. Either way, this treat promises to be as memorable as its famous fan. For those interested, here is the recipe: P.S. I noticed in the picture that was provided, it didn't have the 'fluffy white frosting or cherries".
For the Cake:
For the Fluffy White Frosting:
12-27-2024 02:54 PM
@ciao_bella Wow! I love baking from scratch and that recipe looks delicious. I printed it and hope to make it soon. Thanks for the great post!
12-27-2024 06:44 PM - edited 12-27-2024 06:47 PM
Thank you for sharing the receipe. I love anything with almond flavoring ! Will definitely make it in February . I have to burn through all the goodies I had for Christmas & New Years celebrations.
Hadn't thought of it before , but a good way to teach American History to my Grand child through various desserts favored by each President !
12-27-2024 10:02 PM
@skatting44 wrote:
Thank you for sharing the receipe. I love anything with almond flavoring ! Will definitely make it in February . I have to burn through all the goodies I had for Christmas & New Years celebrations.
Hadn't thought of it before , but a good way to teach American History to my Grand child through various desserts favored by each President !
@skatting44 I love that idea! If there was a cookbook with the President's favorite deserts, plus the recipes. It's interesting and fun to make the delicious creations.
12-29-2024 02:51 AM
Vintage recipes fascinate me.To be able to eat and taste the same thing that was eaten so long ago, allows us to share a time of so long ago.
I think it is the only sense we have, that actually " puts us there "
Fragrance is also another way to share a time and place of long ago, but it is more of a fleeting sensation.
Hope this is at least, partially understandable...lol
12-29-2024 08:00 AM - edited 12-29-2024 08:01 AM
@Flatbush wrote:Vintage recipes fascinate me.To be able to eat and taste the same thing that was eaten so long ago, allows us to share a time of so long ago.
I think it is the only sense we have, that actually " puts us there "
Fragrance is also another way to share a time and place of long ago, but it is more of a fleeting sensation.
Hope this is at least, partially understandable...lol
@Flatbush I totally understand what you're saying and agree with you! I've also have a 'connection' to vintage recipes. Have you ever watched Jon Townsend on YouTube? He dresses in 1800 Century clothing and then cooks/recreates the authentic meals/food from old cookbooks or written recipes from the period. He's in the 5th or 6th season of doing this on Youtube, and it's very interesting to learn the history of how the recipes came about along with the history of the period. It's very popular and has over 600,000 views.
If interested in watching some episodes, type in your computer's address bar: Youtube Jon Townsend
I'm sure you'll get hooked on watching it. I know I have!
12-30-2024 01:10 AM
12-31-2024 11:39 AM
@ciao_bella That looks and sounds delicious! I'm a big fan of bundt cakes not only for their no-nonsense ease of slicing, but also because they always look so elegant with little effort on my part lol. Since I'm not a fan of meringue or egg white toppings, I think this cake would also be great with a drizzled icing, or even just a sprinkling of powdered sugar; it's very versatile.
One of the reasons I love cookbooks is for the stories and family histories surrounding the recipes, so thank you for this post!
01-02-2025 11:09 AM
I went to the site, and it is really right up my alley.
So much real history is wrapped up in such a pefectly normal, everyday, necessary activity.
THANK YOU for the suggestion.
01-02-2025 12:21 PM
@Flatbush My pleasure! I knew right away you'd enjoy it since you have the same interest in the historical backstory on foods/recipes of the colonial period.
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