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Sweet Baked Goods Black Cake

black cake.
(from The Great Western Cook Book, Or Table Receipts: Adapted to Western Housewifery, by Anna Maria Collins, 1857)

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh butter​
1/2 lb. lard​
1-1/4 brown sugar​
4 eggs​
1 pint new milk​
1 grated nutmeg​
1 tsp. pounded mace​
1 tsp. soda​
1-3/4 lbs. flour​
1-1/2 lbs. raisins​
1-1/2 lbs. currants​
wine and brandy for flavor​

Instructions:

Take a pound of fresh butter, and half a pound of lard, cream it well together, and add one pound and a quarter of brown sugar. Beat in four eggs, one at a time; put in a pint of new milk, and one grated nutmeg, a tea-spoonful of pounded mace, and a tea-spoonful of soda. Gradually mix with this, one pound and three-quarters of well-dried flour, and beat all well together. Then add a pound and a half of raisins, stoned, and the same quantity of currants. Flavor with wine and brandy, and bake one hour in a quick oven.​
 
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Talk about excess,a pound of butter,1/2pound of lard and 1 1/2 pounds brown sugar.i'm sure the recipe works but lookout waistline.

I always wonder if you bake these huge quantities of dough/batter in one giant cake/loaf tin or if you do like the one Donna linked to for Emily Dickinson's recipe, and use four pans. Regardless it's a lot of butter, sugar and lard!
 
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