Happy National Cake Day! - History of Cake

FOODBEAST History of Cake Ancient Greece WHAT: A dense cake 200 B.C. with a soft cheese as the primary ingredient. HISTORY: High in energy, Cheesecake was a popular dish in Ancient Greece and was believed to be served during the Olympic games in 776 B.C. however the first recorded recipe was by Greek cheesecake writer, Athena eus. Middle WHAT: A dense cake made with Ages candied or dried fruit, nuts, spices, and often soaked in spirits. HISTORY: A dying cake, it was once a popular treat at holidays and weddings. Loaded with fruits and nuts, this hearty fruit cake cake was carried by crusaders and hunters to sustain themselves during long journeys. WHAT: Layers of chocolate sponge 16th Century cake (often doused with cherry schnapps) cherries, and whipped cream. HISTORY: Believed to have originated in the Black Forest Region of Germany, which was known for its sour cherries. It is thought that the cake is also named after Kirshwasser, a cherry brandy black forest made from the region's Morello cherries. 18th Century WHAT: Core ingredients include carrots and spices, variations include the addition of raisins, nuts, and cream cheese frosting. HISTORY: Evolved from Medieval carrot puddings, due to a ration on luxury foods Carrot Cake became popular during wWI when the British Ministry of Food carrot cake encouraged citizens to make carrot cakes for special occasions. Late 1800s WHAT: A light, white cake made with a large quantity of whipped egg whites. HISTORY: Historians attribute the first angel food cakes to be baked by Southern African-American Slaves because of the laborious task of whipping air into egg whites before the invention of the rotary eggbeater. angel food Late 1800s WHAT: A miniature cake with frosting designed to serve 1 person. HISTORY: Popularity began after wWI when "personal size" cupcakes were commercially packaged. There are two theories about the origin of the cupcake. The first comes from the american system of measurement using cups for baking and the second comes from the idea that they were originally cupcake baked in teacups. Mid-1850s WHAT: 2-Layers of sponge cake filled with thick vanilla custard and covered with a chocolate glaze. HISTORY: Created by a french chef, M. Sanzian, of Boston's Parker House Hotel. It was declared the official dessert of Massachusetts in 1996. Boston Cream Pie at least 1873 WHAT: A mild chocolate cake with a distinctive red color and white frosting (either cream cheese or buttercream). HISTORY: No one knows the true origin, however the cake exploded in popularity when a woman dining at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel was so delighted by the cake that she asked for the recipe. The hotel obliged, however unknowingly found herself paying red velvet $100 for the slice of cake. Early 1900s WHAT: A rich and moist dark chocolate cake with chcolate frosting. HISTORY: Close in origin to Red Velvet Cake, the original Devil's food Cake contained Red Dye #40 that was later linked to cancer. The first recipe was published by Mrs. Rorder's New Cook Book by Sarah Tyson Devil's Food Cake Rorer and was named after its gluttonous chocolate content. 1957 WHAT: A layered chocolae cake topped and filled with coconut-pecan frosting. HISTORY: An American cake that utilized "Baker's German Sweet Chocolate," a mild dark baking chocolate created by Sam German. The first recipe was created by a Texas homemaker and published by a Dallas newspaper in 1957. German Chocolate by Elie Ayrouth & Lucia Phan for WWW.FOODBEAST.COM Pictures: Info: Williams-sonoma.com (German Chocolate, Devil's food) Duncan-Hines.com (Angel food) Betty Crocker (Boston Cream Pie) 1-800-Bakery.com (Red Velvet) Natalie Purcel (Cupcake) Cheesecake factory (Cheesecake) whatscookingamerica.net associatedcontent.com 1-800-bakery.com foodtimeline.org bbclifestyle.com