Munchie Monday: Nameless Cake

It is not surprising that an unusual name for a cake, Nameless cake, also has an unusual history. From the mid-1800s into the early 1900s, recipes for Nameless cake appear but with a variety of ingredients.  Malinda Russell, the first African American cookbook author, published a recipe in 1866 which is similar to a pound cake with butter, sugar, eggs, milk, and flour. The Macculloch-Miller family’s recipe for Nameless cake in some ways resembles Irish soda bread, relying on raisins instead of sugar, for sweetness.  Other unpublished family recipes list ingredients that would result in a spiced chocolate cake with icing. Even the early-20^th century baking authority, Betty Crocker, had a Nameless cake recipe. Debuting in 1921, the Betty Crocker advertising campaign expanded to include radio baking programs and countless letters of advice to new homemakers in the kitchen. In the 1930s General Mills began running Betty Crocker cake naming contests, including a 1938 contest to “Name the Nameless Cake”, awarding prizes and building brand loyalty.

The Macculloch-Miller’s Nameless cake recipe will not brown when baked because it does not contain sugar. The recipe also does not contain a leavening agent such as baking soda, baking powder, or cream of tartar so it will not rise and resulting in a dense cake. Cake can be enjoyed warm, or toasted with butter and Macculloch-Miller Orange Marmalade.

 

Nameless Cake –Original Recipe

Butter size of an egg

1 qt. milk

4 beaten eggs

Make a batter so thick as to drop without running. Add grated nutmeg. Let stand an hour. Drop on a floured tin and bake in a quick oven. And 2 lbs. raisins.

 

Nameless Cake –Adapted Recipe

2 tbsp. butter, cold

2 cups milk

2 eggs

4 cups flour

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl or mixer beat eggs well with a wire whip attachment. In a separate bowl sift 2 cups of flour. Cut butter into flour until blended then sift an additional 2 cups of flour. Alternately add milk and dry ingredients to eggs. Grate nutmeg and add to cake batter. Batter should be thick. Let stand for an hour. Prepare raisins by coating them with 2 tablespoons of flour. Fold raisins into batter. Pour into a floured, greased 10-inch pie plate or loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool on a baking rack.

 

Advice on using raisins in the place of sugar in baked goods. Natural Sweetener in Baked Goods | Raisins as Sugar Substitute – The Raisins Hut

Tracing the interesting history of Betty Crocker and The Washburn-Crosby Company later known as General Mills  Who Was Betty Crocker? | The History Kitchen | PBS Food

The woman behind Betty Crocker, Marjorie Child Husted (1892-1986) Marjorie Child Husted: The Real Betty Crocker – AAUW : Empowering Women Since 1881