The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-08
CAKE MAKING OF
ANTE-BELLUM DAYS
How Uncle John Went to Work Each Saturday Morn
ing in Virginia-No Baking Powder or Soda

a FTER the finishing touches were
"a put On the big Lady Baltimore"
l had just taken from my gas
range l placed it in the centre
Of the dining room table, took seat
by the window and gave a sigh Of re-
lief. 1t is such a bunny. mysterious
cake that I always feel / have turned
out a Jack Horner pie. My mother
sat by the open fire and began talking
to me.
Let me tell you how your great
grandmother made cake"
"Oh, please do, and I shall put a
page in my recipe book Cake Making
| in $780,
your xreat-grandmother,' continued
my mother, was named Nancy Gregg
l She married Capt. James Bowles. OF
Albemarle County, Virginia. She had
| a little coal-black maid by the name Of
Jane, and a little coal-black dog BY
! the name OF Trim, whose entire duty in
| life seemed to be one continual romI
! in and out among the rose bushes
which grew in profusion on Grandma's
lawn. Every Saturday was cake-bak
ing day. and there was never TINT
| in that spacious. hospitab1e home Wher
| we were out Of cake.
ION this large, Well-cultivated ViTs
| GINA estate Uncle John. a slaTe, wal
| known and respected as the cake
maker at the big house. The childrer
| felt that he occupied a position second
| only to Santa Claus. Early Saturday
| from the quarters spick, span and
| spotless in a suit Of white Osnaburg
| That was a cloth much heavier thar
| Indian head and was manufactured IL
| Maine for the use of the negroes Of the
| South. His sleeves were short, his face
clean shaven and a cooks cap adorned
/ his closely cropped head. Aunt Min
! erva, the regular cook, went down tt
her cabin and Uncle John became mon
arch of the kitchen.
/ "a fire was in readiness in the bis
| kitchen fireplace, for all baking wat
shovel kept for the purpose the coals
were raked to the front, and on somt
fiat, smooth stones the oven wal
placed. From the spring house wers
brought the eggs which had beer
placed in cold water the night before
In the dining room stood the sugar
| box. Like the rest Of the dining room
| furniture, this box was made OF ma
| hogany. 1t stood on legs, was linee
| with zinc and was the size and shape
| Of a music cabinet of to-day. It hello
| exactly one hundred pounds.
| ''Of course baking powder was I'M
/ known and soda was not used. In
| later years came saleratus and car
! Donate Of potash, which was cream Oh
| tartar mixed with soda. After that
1 hOuSGkeeQerS USED nOmoL1aOe OahlHe
| powders, consisting of tartarfc acid.
! soda and -four. sifted till as fine as
| starch. But the lightness Of Uncle
| Johns cakes depended on the eggs
| and they were beaten to q froth. Each
| pound cake called for one dozen eggs
| and each Saturday called for one
| pound cake, to say nothing OF the
cakes baked In enormous muffin molda
and pyramids Of crisp. brown tea
| cakes.
| "All OF the mixing was done in a
piggin which was kept for this purpose.
A piggin was a cedar bucket. and this
one had brightly polished brass hoops.
and Uncle John beat his batter over and
over with cedar paddle so the air was
with cedar paddle so the air was
driven into the cells. He made gold
cake. silver. spice. jelly. sponge. fruit
and-yes, Lady Baltimore. Such wed
| ding cake I have never seen any
where.
cit is said" concluded my mother,
"that an odor recalls past memories
more than anything else. and wish !
could again have a Whit OF THAI old
| Virginia kitchen on baking day. II
would be res onant of my girlhood and
wedding breakfast one morning In
June"