A historical dessert from The White House cook book; a comprehensive cyclopedia of information for the home .. (1913).
Preserved exactly as written in the original source
Beat together sugar and butter
Add beaten egg whites, sweet milk, flour, cornstarch, and baking powder
Bake in jelly-cake tins
For frosting: beat whites of three eggs and some sugar together not quite as stiff as usual for frosting
spread over the cake, add some grated cocoanut, then put your cakes together
put cocoanut and frosting on top
Modern guidance to help you succeed with this vintage recipe
The combination of flour and cornstarch creates a tender, fine-crumbed cake by reducing overall gluten development—cornstarch contains no gluten-forming proteins. Beating sugar and butter together (creaming) incorporates air that expands during baking, while the high proportion of egg whites provides structure and lift without adding fat from yolks. The softer-than-usual frosting creates a more spreadable, marshmallow-like texture that adheres better to the layers and integrates with the coconut.
The unfrosted cake layers can be baked up to 2 days ahead, cooled completely, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature. For longer storage, freeze wrapped layers for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature before frosting. The frosting should be made fresh on the day of assembly as egg white-based frostings do not store well and can weep or deflate.
Store the assembled cake under a cake dome or loosely covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 days. Due to the egg white-based frosting, refrigeration is recommended if keeping longer than 24 hours; bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving for best texture. The frosting may weep slightly after 2-3 days. Do not freeze the frosted cake as the meringue-style frosting will break down.
AI-generated tips from Chef Cecil's culinary database
The unfrosted cake layers can be baked up to 2 days ahead, cooled completely, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature. For longer storage, freeze wrapped layers for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature before frosting. The frosting should be made fresh on the day of assembly as egg white-based frostings do not store well and can weep or deflate.
Store the assembled cake under a cake dome or loosely covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 days. Due to the egg white-based frosting, refrigeration is recommended if keeping longer than 24 hours; bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving for best texture. The frosting may weep slightly after 2-3 days. Do not freeze the frosted cake as the meringue-style frosting will break down.
0 notes
Sign in to share your thoughts and connect with the community
Sign In to CommentLoading notes...
