Time for Cake!

Christina here. A friend of mine has her birthday today – happy birthday! – so naturally my thoughts turned to cake! Well, the two usually go together, don’t they? Birthdays are a great excuse for baking (and eating) cake and it wouldn’t be a special day without such a culinary treat, at least not to me. Cake can also cheer us up in these uncertain times, so why not indulge ourselves a litte? It made me wonder though – who first hit on the idea of making cake? Time to dive down a research rabbit hole …

Attribution https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=128566

I don’t think anyone really knows where cake baking originated, but the first ones were probably more like bread sweetened with honey. Rather than putting the honey on top of the bread, someone decided to put it inside before baking and liked the result. I’m all for that as I confess I don’t like the taste of honey on its own. Nuts and fruit could have been added to make it sweeter (sugar came much later) as that was all they had. We know the Egyptians made special cakes for various feasts, religious ceremonies or for people to take with them to the afterlife. And then the Romans started adding eggs and butter to their bread dough, as well as honey, which gave them a cake like result. They must have brought these recipes to England when they were in control here, but then they left and the Dark Ages came … well, without cake they must have been dark indeed!

Cake isn’t exactly nutritious or necessary for our survival, but it is undoubtedly good for our souls (in my opinion anyway). In the past, the ingredients would have been expensive so it was an honour and a real treat to receive a cake, hence their use only for special occasions. Nowadays cakes don’t cost that much but the symbolic meaning is still there – if someone gives you a cake you feel honoured.

I was inordinately pleased to notice that the word ‘cake’ seems to have derived from the Old Norse word ‘kaka’ – good old Vikings! Funnily enough it’s still called that in Sweden today so at least if I ended up time travelling back to the Viking age I’d know how to ask for something nice to eat. The Latin word for cake though is ‘placenta’ (deriving from the Greek word ‘plakos’ which means ‘flat’) … um, maybe not so nice.

Mille feuille by Anaïssaucisse - https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58046156

The earliest English cakes were more or less bread, just a different shape (usually round). Something resembling modern cakes was first baked in the mid-17^th century when refined sugar became more widely available. Then icing was invented – boiled sugar, egg whites and possibly some kind of flavouring – and moulds/molds (different spelling here in the UK) were used to make little cakes. Many of them contained dried fruits as this would have been the only thing available for most of the year. Our ancestors must have really looked forward to summer time and all the fresh fruit!

Readers of Regency romance may have heard of Antonin (Marie Antoine) Carème, a Frenchman who was the first so called celebrity chef. He invented lots of dishes including modern pastries and types of cake (like Mille Feuille) and, as you probably know, worked for the Prince Regent for a while – no wonder his waist measurement increased! – as well as other famous people.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32568716

In the mid-19^th century the kind of thing we call cake finally emerged when fine white flour became more commonly available and baking powder was invented. At the beginning of the 20^th century butter cream frosting – made with butter, cream, powdered sugar and various flavourings – started to replace the old-fashioned hard glazed kind, and the scene was set for things like cupcakes to be developed. Excellent! If truth be told, I could actually sit and eat just frosting, I love it so much, no cake necessary …

Fruit cake By Bongo Vongo https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fruit_Cake_(4848688795).jpg

Most people have their own ideas as to what constitutes a good cake. To me it’s something like sponge cake and definitely not the heavy English fruit cake types. Having grown up in Sweden I had never come across these before moving to England and I was absolutely horrified to find my aunt making a Christmas cake in October! I had visions of eating something quite rotten by the time December came around. Although that didn’t prove to be the case, I’m afraid I still didn’t like the result.

I have a very sweet tooth and could happily live on a combination of chocolate, cake and buns. This may be in my genes, as both my great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather on my mother’s side were master bakers. They owned a bakery in the little Swedish town where I grew up and I used to love visiting as I was allowed to go behind the scenes and help myself to tasty morsels. (This photo was taken around 1915 and the pretzel shape is a type of Swedish cookie known as 'kringla' - sort of like shortbread with sugar on top). Once a year, just before Christmas, my grandmother, mother and two aunts were also given permission to use the bakery to make their annual gingerbread cookies. This was production on a grand scale, using the bakery’s massive oven.

As my grandmother had grown up there, she handled that with confidence whereas it terrified me. (I may have read the story of Hansel and Gretel a bit too often and trust me, that oven was big enough to fit at least six small children!). My cousins and I came along to “help” with cutting out the gingerbread shapes, although in reality we spent most of our time either eating the dough or running riot. It was an Aladdin’s cave with big sacks of sugar, large vats of dough and floors covered in flour that were perfect for sliding on. Quite frankly, I’m surprised our mothers bothered to bring us as we must have been a right nuisance!

I love baking of any kind and often helped my mother and grandmother, who lived in the apartment below ours. In Sweden it was tradition for well-to-do families to have ‘sju sorters kakor’ (seven types of cookie) to offer guests when inviting someone for formal occasions, although we usually considered three enough.

 

Sweden is also famous for its cinnamon buns, something my mother refused to learn how to make. (It’s a bit fiddly and takes time as you have to wait for the dough to rise twice). I quickly cottoned on to the fact that my best friend’s mother frequently made them and I always made sure I was at her house on cinnamon bun days. Not just so that I could share in the result, but because I loved eating the dough! (Probably not very good for my stomach as it contains a lot of yeast). Now I make them myself and I still eat the dough … I started keeping a diary at the age of 8 and one of the first things I wrote was that when I was a mother myself, I’d give my children buns every day! (Note – of course I didn’t!).

What is your earliest memory of baking? For me it’s those fun pre-Christmas days at the old bakery, or perhaps standing on a stool next to Grandma, watching her make Strassburgare (a type of cookie that’s also bit like shortbread but more delicate – see photo). And yes, you’ve guessed it - eating the dough. And what is your favourite type of cake? Mine is either chocolate or plain vanilla sponge – no dried fruits or alcohol to ruin the taste please!

 

Comments

[Sue McCormick]

A truly fascinating post!

I don't have an earliest memory of baking. I DO remember sitting under the kitchen table with mey doll (I was 2 to 3) while the kitchen was in a bustle; it might have been baking.

By my request, my birthday cake was always Angel Food cake with a dusting of powdered sugar, and fruit on the side.

And my children and I worked together to create several pans of cinnamon rolls to give to family members as Christmas presents.

[Maryellen Webber]

What a mouth watering post! I have a big sweet tooth! Your description of your grandparents bakery sounds like wonderful place to be as a child. I didn't know that cinnamon buns came from Sweden. We them on Christmas morning but I confess they are store bought. Maybe I can find a recipe for them and have it perfected in time for Christmas! Thanks for the sweet post Christina!

[Christina Courtenay]

So glad you enjoyed it, Sue, thank you! I love Angel Food cake too, it's lovely. And there's nothing better than freshly baked cinnamon rolls - what a great present!

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank YOU for your lovely comments, Maryellen! Let me know if you'd like a recipe for the cinnamon rolls - as I said, they are a bit time-consuming but not difficult and definitely worth the effort!

[Andrea Penrose]

What a wonderful and fascinating blog, Christina! I love learning the history of things . . . especially goodies like cake!

My mother was Swiss, so our traditional birthday cake were very different from the traditional American round two-layer cakes with lots of frosting. They were "mandeletorte"—two square cakes made of ground almonds (or walnuts) with raspberry jam sandwiched between the two layers. Lots of butter, sugar and eggs, so it was very rich. Thinking of it is making me very nostalgic. I may have to head to the kitchen!

[Christina Courtenay]

Oh, that sounds delicious, Andrea! I make a version of 'mandeltorte' called 'Toscatorte', but that is just sponge cake with almonds and icing on top. One of my favourites though! I lived in Switzerland for a year and can vouch for the fact that their cakes are wonderful! Not to mention their ice cream ...

[Margot]

I enjoy any type of cake or sweet breads. Cinnamon buns are the best and something we made almost every Sunday for breakfast when I was a teen. When I was little living in Paraguay to poor refugees from the war. Our birthday cake was similar to cinnamon raisin swirl bread. So just as the early cakes our resident baker added any kind of sweet treat and flavor in a loaf of bread. It was heaven. But now I am spoiled with all the cakes and baked goods available to me over the years in the USA.
I love to bake an assortment of German Christmas cookies. My husband used to complain that they were all so hard but that is what I loved. So for him I made some soft choc chip cookies (that was all he wanted) I still bake pies, loaf sweet breads such as apple bread or banana bread - they freeze well and can be ready in a flash.
Thanks for all the drool-worthy pictures.

[Wendi E Solinger]

Loved this post! I don't normally respond but had to for this one. I've loved baking my whole life, learned from my grandmother and carried on from my father, surprisingly. Mother is not a baker! And I could happily eat just the dough and frosting. In fact, I took cake decorating classes just to learn how to make a good buttercream and used to make and color it just for a treat!
Now my father & I still bake sweet breads for a farmer's market every week (although that's closed at present). They're almost like cake with some of the recipes we use and quite popular. Some of our regular customers think of them as cake and eat them for dessert with ice cream.
At Christmas we spend a whole day or two making cookies to give away to friends, usually about 15-20 different kinds. Haven't tried any Swedish flavors, but they sound delicious. I may have to look them up.
Thanks for the post!

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you, Margot - it's great to hear everyone's memories of cakes and baking! I think German/Swiss/Austrian baked goods must be very similar to Swedish, as there is a proliferation of fairly hard cookies there too. I like both :-) And banana bread - love it! I think I might need to make some of that next as it's heavenly when warm and straight from the oven.

[Christina Courtenay]

How wonderful, Wendi, I love the sound of the bread you and your father make together! I always find it's so much more enjoyable baking with someone else and try to involve my daughters if they're around. Great fun! Thank you so much for your comment and I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves eating dough and frosting!

[Annette N]

Excuse me while I wipe my chin - the drool you know. Thanks for this post. And the pictures are wonderful.

My first memory of baking - my mother did not bake very often but when she made a pie she saved the extra crust, sprinkled it with cinnamon and sugar and some butter. Rolled up and baked it was lovely.

My personal first big deal in baking...I made a 3 layer cake for my oldest daughter's birthday. She was a toddler. It was going to be a party- and during the party the top two layers slid off the cake and landed on the table. The kids loved that part of the party....me not so much. I no longer bake as frequently as I once did. And I have not made a 3 layer cake for quite some time.

[Denise]

You had me at “cake” . . . thank you Christina!

[Christina Courtenay]

Oh dear, Annette, poor you after all that effort! But at least the kids appreciated it anyway and although I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time, the great thing about cake is that it tastes heavenly no matter what it looks like :-) I love the sound of that pie dough too - what a great idea!

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you, Denise, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[Kareni]

...now I'm hungry for cake!

Thank you for a delicious post, Christina. I will happily try any cake (unless it contains almond extract or marzipan); given a choice though, I'll head for something chocolate.

[Teresa Broderick]

Lovely post and I'm hungry now having read it!
I don't really have a sweet tooth but if I had to pick a cake I'd say a cream and raspberry sponge. Love them but can't eat them anymore as I can't have dairy. I also love ginger cake or Parkin as they call it in Scotland. I used to make this a lot but these days I do hardly any baking anymore. Maybe I'll have a go at this one again soon.

[Christina Courtenay]

Oh, yes, I invariably go for chocolate too, if it is available - just can't resist! And I don't like marzipan either, although weirdly I like almonds in their natural state. I guess it's one of those things you either love or hate :-)

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you - cream and raspberry sponge sounds lovely, Teresa! A bit like the strawberry cake in my first photo above. I don't think I've ever tried Parkin but I have heard of it - must find some next time I visit Scotland!

[Anne Gracie]

Lovely post, Christina. I don't like marzipan or almond extract either, but one of my favourite recipes is a cake made of a whole boiled orange and ground almonds. It's easy and delicious. And good for gluten-free people.
https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/orange-almond-cake/1a7129c0-fbff-4ff8-b3c2-b2caff8e4817

[Susan/DC]

Julia Child said that a party without cake was just a meeting, and I think she was exactly right. A possible motto for these difficult times could be "Keep baking and carry on", as even home quarantine can be made better with a bit of cake or a cinnamon bun (which are a personal favorite).

[Kareni]

What an intriguing recipe, Anne Gracie; I don't believe I've seen a recipe before that calls for a whole boiled orange (or two!). The cake does sound delicious.

[Kareni]

I too like almonds in their natural state. It looks as though I'm in fine company here!

[Amy J]

Mmm, cakes and bread and pastries of any and every sort...and more cookbooks on the subject then a person needs. I've even picked up some of those as vacation souvenirs: 365 Days of Puddings from London, and a cakes and cookies one from Stockholm one year.

Angel food was our birthday tradition when I was a kid, but think the first thing I learned to help make was chocolate cupcakes with a cream cheese chocolate chip filling.

[Anne Gracie]

It really is yummy, Kareni. I tried it the first time because I was intrigued. Now I make it because it's easy and delicious. Light and surprisingly moist.

[Christina Courtenay]

That definitely sounds unusual, Anne! I will have to check that out - thank you!

[Christina Courtenay]

I totally agree with Ms Child - what a perfect quote! And yes, at least baking is something we can still do and it certainly cheers you up. Thank you Susan!

[Christina Courtenay]

Oh yes, cupcakes - delicious! I love the ones that have more frosting than cake :-D And I think I've bought that cakes and cookies book from Stockholm too, it makes a great present for my UK friends! Many thanks for your comment Amy!

[Karin]

I love to bake sweet things. My grandmother made sweet yeast cake, usually a long loaf type, rolled up with poppy seed or nut filling inside. But my mother was more of a baker, being born and raised in Vienna. She made a big variety of Christmas cookies, bundt cakes, and tortes(layer cakes made with nuts instead of flour, and jam or whipped cream fillings. The most famous of course, is Sacher torte. I started baking with her at an early age, but one of my earliest memories of baking by myself is making cherry pie at about the age of 10. My family was European, so no one made American style pie, with a pastry crust and fruit filling. I loved pie, so I taught myself how to make it from a cookbook.

[Karin]

This orange almond cake looks amazing, I am definitely making it!

[Christina Courtenay]

Mmmm Sacher torte! That all sounds wonderful, Karin and I love pie - any kind (except, weirdly enough, cherry!), although the simpler ones are often the best with just fruit and crust. I need to go and make a pie now!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Cake, glorious cake! What a wonderful history of cake-ness you have, Christina. I am reminded of the truly glorious Fat Margaret Cake the Mayhem Consultant got to experience in Estonia last year. Thing a chocolate mousse cake ++++ Wonderful!

My first memories run toward making cookies and fruit pieces, but some cakes snuck in, too. *G*

[Christina Courtenay]

I love the sound of that, Mary Jo - a chocolate mousse cake would be right up my street! How could you possibly go wrong with that?