Historic recipe from Malinda Russell's 1866 cookbook "A Domestic Cook Book". Page 17. One of the earliest known cookbooks by an African American author.
This historic pound cake relies on the classic 1:1:1:1 ratio of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs (by weight), which creates a balanced structure where butter provides tenderness, eggs supply structure and leavening through mechanical incorporation of air, and sugar both sweetens and helps retain moisture. The high egg count (16 eggs to 1 pound each of other ingredients) produces exceptional richness and a fine, tight crumb through protein coagulation. Extended creaming of butter and sugar creates thousands of tiny air pockets that expand during baking, providing the sole leavening in this pre-baking powder era recipe.
Before You Begin
•Bring butter and eggs to room temperature (65-70°F) for at least 2 hours to ensure proper emulsification and maximum air incorporation during creaming
•The recipe's '1 each sugar' likely means 1 pound of sugar to match the flour and butter weights; use granulated sugar for authentic texture
•Interpret '1 each spice' as 1-2 teaspoons of nutmeg, mace, or mixed spice (common in 1860s baking)
•Weigh flour rather than measuring by volume for accuracy in this historic pound cake ratio
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Community Notes
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Plan for 15-20 minutes of creaming butter and sugar until very pale and fluffy—this is critical for the cake's rise
•Grease and flour your pan thoroughly as this recipe contains no chemical leaveners to help the cake release
Key Equipment
Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or large bowl and wooden spoon for historic authenticity)Kitchen scale for accurate measuring10-inch tube pan or two 9x5-inch loaf pansInstant-read thermometer (cake is done at 200-210°F internal temperature)
Ingredients
Instructions
1
Mix ingredients together
2
Bake
Make Ahead
This cake actually improves with age as flavors meld and the crumb softens. Bake up to 5 days ahead, cool completely, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Store at room temperature. The high butter and egg content acts as a natural preservative.
Storage
Store wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. The dense, buttery crumb freezes exceptionally well. Thaw wrapped at room temperature for 4-6 hours before serving. This cake needs no refrigeration due to its low moisture content.
