Munchie Monday: Mrs. Canfield’s Cream Cake

The “Mrs. Canfield” referred to in this recipe may be Deborah Wood Canfield (1797 to 1879) who worshipped with Louisa Macculloch (1785-1863) at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on Miller Road, just a block away from Macculloch Hall in Morristown.

The recipe does not include instructions about using a particular pan, so we used a tube pan. Tube pans, also referred to as angel food cake pans, were available in the 1800s. Interestingly, the similar Bundt pan did not exist until 1950 when it was invented by H. David Dalquist.

Because of the recipe’s limited instructions, the brandy was added to the cake batter and not used as a glaze for the cake. Mrs. Canfield’s Cream Cake, as recorded by Louisa Macculloch, produces a delicious “brandied” pound cake.

Original Recipe: Cream Cake, Mrs. Canfield

1 ¼ lb. flour

1    do   sugar

¾   do butter

6 eggs

1 tea cup thick cream

1 glass brandy

 

Adapted Recipe: Cream Cake, Mrs. Canfield

4 ½ cups flour

2 ¾ cups sugar

3 sticks of butter, softened

6 eggs

1 cup of heavy cream

4 tablespoons of cognac or brandy

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and let mixer run between each egg to combine. Add cognac. Sift flour. Add flour alternately with heavy cream.

Pour batter into greased tube pan. Bake for 80-90 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

Optional: sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Resources:

To learn more about the history of different types of cake pans: https://www.cooksinfo.com/cake-pans#:~:text=and%20springform%20pans.-,History%20Notes,cake%20pans%20that%20were%20emerging.

Malinda Russell, the first African American cookbook author, who included three cream cake recipes in her cookbook, A Domestic Cookbook: Containing a Careful Selection of Useful Receipts for the Kitchen, published in 1866: https://malindarussell.com/