Time Period: 1800 - 1869
This recipe was published as part of a 39-page booklet named A Domestic Cookbook in 1866. It was created by Malinda Russell, a free woman of color, and is thought to be the first cookbook by an African-American woman in our country's history. Mrs. Russell is thought to have run her own boardinghouse and pastry shop, and her recipes had a more European flair than her contemporaries. This cake, for example, is similar to an English-style pound cake. After the Revolutionary War, a lot of cakes began to be named after President Washington, but eventually, Washington cakes began to be categorized by being pound cakes infused with currants or lemon.
This is one of the lemon Washington cakes, as it contains both lemon juice and lemon zest. The citrus gave it a nice zing, and unlike another pound cake I've made, it was not dry. That said, I do not know what is wrong with my tube pan, as it often turns out cakes with raggedy patches torn out, like this one. Malinda Russell was no doubt better at presentation than I. Oh, well. At least it tasted good.
Posts
