Victorian Cooking: Angel’s Food Isn’t Always Angel’s Food
Angel Food Cake recipes are all very much the same from their inception in the late 1870s until today…
Until they’re not.
Who knew?
Angel’s Food isn’t always Angel’s Food.
Victorian Baking: Angel’s Food Cake
The story behind the invention (development?) of Angel Food Cake is a bit shrouded in tales of “Me, First!” Vintage newspaper advertisements show Angel Food Cake for sale in bakeries by 1878, and in cookbooks for home bakers that same year. One of the origin stories made it into a vintage cookbook (“cook book”), along with minor variations on the fluffy, snow-white theme. No matter how the dessert began, the popularity took off among Victorian bakers and remained popular through the Edwardian and Progressive Era. One peek at Pinterest vouches that this brightly white cake is still popular (even when pink).
Victorian Americans had Devil’s Food Cake and Angel Food Cake?
Which came FIRST in Victorian home kitchens? Angel’s Food Cake or Devil’s Food Cake? BOTH appeared in the 1800’s…but one was definitely first. Which is your guess?
This post begins a new blog series, all about Victorian home bakers, CAKE, Angel (Angel’s) Food Cake, Chocolate Cake (and Devil’s Food Cake), Cake Moulds and Tins, Time-saving Inventions for cooks / bakers, and more than one surprise!
