Cakes from 1650 to 1799 Cake #2

Mary Ball Washington Gingerbread

This cake was made by George Washington's mother. The recipe had been passed down, but was eventually assumed lost. In 1922, when the Daughters of the American Revolution were trying to raise money to restore George Washington's old plantation they found the recipe in the attic and sold it to help with the costs of the renovations.

This cake was once again pretty easy to make, everything went into one pan to bake in the oven. The recipe includes an orange and 2 ounces of either brandy or coffee which I thought was interesting. I used coffee because it was easier and cheaper.

*Many of the early cakes included dried fruits as a way to not waste their harvest and as another cheap way to add sweetness and flavor to the cake.*

This cake recipe uses golden raisins. I am not a huge fan of dried fruit, but the cake turned out nicely and had a ton of flavor.

Looking ahead: The next cake on list is the New Orleans King Cake!