• Welcome to the Receipts of the Blue & Gray. - The receipts you will find here are original Antebellum, and Civil War period receipts, as originally published between the years 1796 and 1880. One exception, is: Newspaper Clippings & Periodical Receipts are limited to a publishing period from 1858 to 1866.

    Some receipts from this era attempted to give medicinal advice. Many dangerous, and in some cases, deadly, "cures" were given, reflecting the primitive knowledge of that time period. Don't assume everything you read here is safe to try! Recipes and Receipts posted here are for Historic Research Purposes, enjoy them, learn from them, discuss them!

    ★ If you attempt to try one of these recipes / receipts, you do so at your own risk! ★

  • Welcome to CivilWarTalk, a forum about the American Civil War! - Join today! It's fast, simple, and FREE!

Fruit Cake

fruit cake
1631041103047.png
(from Godey's Ladies Magazine, edited by L.A. Godey, Sarah J. Hale, 1861)

Ingredients:

1 lb. butter​
1 lb. sugar​
8 eggs seperated​
1-1/2 lb. flour​
1 teacup of cream​
1 wineglass of brandy​
1 wineglass of wine​
1 nutmeg​
1 tsp. mace​
1 tsp. cloves​
2 tsp. cinnamon​
1 salt-spoon salt​
3/4 lb. raisins​
3/4 lb. currants​
1/2 lb. citron​
2 tsp. yeast powder​

Instructions:

Take one pound of butter and one pound of sugar, and beat them together with the yelks of eight eggs; beat the whites seperately; mix with these one and a half pound of flour, one teacupful of cream, one wineglassful of brandy and one of wine, one nutmeg, one teaspoonful of mace, one teaspoonful of cloves, two teaspoonfuls of cinnamon, one salt-spoonful of salt, three-quarters of a pound of raisins, stoned, three-quarters of a pound of currants, half a pound of citron; mix with the flour two teaspoonfuls of yeast powder.​


christmas cake
1631041297778.png
(from Godey's Ladies Magazine, edited by L.A. Godey, Sarah J. Hale, 1863)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. flour​
16 oz. loaf-sugar​
2 lbs. fresh butter​
18 eggs​
4 lbs. currants​
8 oz. almonds​
8 oz. citron​
1 lb. orange and lemon peel candied​
1 gill pale brandy​
1 large nutmeg grated​
1/2 oz. Allspice​
1/4 oz. mace​
1/4 oz. coriander​
1/4 oz. ginger well ground​
1/4 oz. cinnamon​

Instructions:

To two pounds of flour well sifted unite​
Of loaf-sugar ounces sixteen;​
Two pounds of fresh butter, with eighteen fine eggs,​
And four pounds of currants washed clean;​
Eight ounces of almonds well blanched and cut small,​
The same weight of citron sliced,​
Of orange and lemon peel candied one pound,​
And a gill of pale brandy uniced;​
A large nutmeg grated; exact half an ounce​
Of Allspice, but only a quarter​
Of mace, coriander, and ginger well ground,​
Or pounded to dust in a mortar.​
An important addition is cinnamon, which​
Is better increased than diminished;​
The fourth of an ounce is sufficient. Now this​
May be baked four good hours till finished.​


Notes: This recipe makes about 24 pounds. It is for a large crowd. Gill: A liquid measure equal to 1/4 pint. Loaf sugar: A conical mass of concentrated sugar.



fruit cake
1631041798710.png
(from Godey's Ladies Magazine, edited by L.A. Godey, Sarah J. Hale, 1865)

Ingredients:

5 cups flour​
2 cups sugar​
2 cups butter​
1 cup of liquid, equal quantities of...​
brandy​
milk​
molasses​
4 eggs​
2 lbs. raisins​
citron​
currents are optional​
1 tsp. saleratus​
spice to taste​
cloves​
cinnamon​
nutmeg​

Instructions:

Five cups of flour, two of sugar, two of butter, one of liquid, about equal quantities of brandy, milk, and molasses, four eggs, two pounds raisins, citron, currents if you choose, one teaspoon saleratus, spice to taste, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg.​


fruit cake
1631041860270.png
(from Godey's Ladies Magazine, edited by L.A. Godey, Sarah J. Hale, 1865)

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups dried apples​
1 cup sugar​
1/2 cup cold coffee​
1 cup sugar​
2 eggs​
1/2 cup of butter​
1 nutmeg​
1 tsp. of soda​
cinnamon​
spices​

Instructions:

Two and a half cups dried apples stewed until soft; add one cup of sugar; stew a while longer, and chop the mixture, to which added one half cup of cold coffee, one of sugar, two eggs, a half cup of butter, one nutmeg, one teaspoonful of soda, and cinnamon and spices to taste.​


Notes: This recipe need about 2 cups of flour to hold it together. Also bake until knife inserted comes out clean. I would guess a 350 degree oven. This one you probably have to experiment with to get cake moist and tasty.

December is National Fruitcake Month. For me, I must have fruitcake at Christmas but a nice moist one.

These recipes for fruitcake during Civil War era are from "Godey's Lady's Book".
 
Last edited by a moderator:
fruit cake
(from Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree, 1878)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. best stoned raisins​
2 lbs. currants​
1 lb. citron​
12 eggs​
1 lb. fresh butter​
1 lb. loaf sugar​
1 lb. flour​
4-1/2 tsp. cream of tartar​
1-1/4 tsp. soda​
1 large tbsp. ground cinnamon​
1 small tbsp. white ginger​
4-1/2 nutmegs​
1 tbsp. best molasses​
1/2 teacup best brandy​

Instructions:

2 pounds best stoned raisins.​
2 pounds currants.​
1 pound citron.​
12 eggs.​
1 pound fresh butter.​
1 pound loaf sugar.​
1 pound flour.​
Make the batter as you would for nice cake, and before adding the fruit, stir into the batter --​
4-1/2 teaspoonfuls cream of tartar.​
1-1/4 teaspoonful soda.​
1 large tablespoonful of ground cinnamon.​
1 small tablespoonful of white ginger.​
4-1/2 nutmegs.​
1 tablespoonful of best molasses.​
Add by degrees the fruit and one-half teacup best brandy; bake slowly five hours. Excellent, and will keep good six months.​
-- Mrs. F.​


NOTE: As Cpl. Sailhorst has no experience baking cakes, he is unsure as to what temperature a cake should be baked for 5 hours! He respectfully refers you to more experienced Cake Bakers!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
fruit cake without eggs
(from Miss Beecher's Domestic Receipt-book, by Catharine Esther Beecher, 1846)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. flour​
1-3/4 lbs. sugar​
1 pint milk​
1/2 lb. butter​
1/2 tsp. salt​
1-1/2 tsp. soda, or saleratus...​
or 2 tsp. of sal volatile, dissolved in a little hot water​
1 nutmeg​
1 lb. raisins​
1 wine glass brandy​

Instructions:
Two pounds of flour.​
One and three quarter pounds of sugar.​
One pint of milk.​
Half a pound of butter.​
Half a teaspoonful of salt.​
One and a half teaspoonfuls of soda, or saleratus, or two of sal volatile, dissolved in a little hot water.​
One nutmeg, one pound of raisins, and one wine glass of brandy. This makes three loaves.​
Warm the milk, and add the butter and salt to it. Work the butter and sugar to a cream, and then add the milk, then the flour, then the saleratus, and lastly the spice and fruit.​


fruit cake, or black cake
(from Miss Beecher's Domestic Receipt-book, by Catharine Esther Beecher, 1846)

Ingredients:

1 lb. powdered white sugar​
3/4 lb. butter​
1 lb. flour​
12 eggs​
2 lbs. raisins​
2 lbs. currants​
1/2 lb. citron​
1/4 oz. cinnamon​
1/4 oz. nutmegs​
1/4 oz. cloves​
1 wine-glass of wine​
1 wine-glass of brandy​

Instructions:

One pound of powdered white sugar.​
Three quarters of a pound of butter.​
One pound of flour, sifted. Twelve eggs.​
Two pounds of raisins, stoned, and part of them chopped.​
Two pounds of currants, carefully cleaned.​
Half a pound of citron, cut into strips.​
A quarter of an ounce each, of cinnamon, nutmegs, and cloves, mixed.​
One wine-glass of wine, and one wine-glass of brandy.​
Rub the butter and sugar together, then add the yolks of the eggs, part of the flour, the spice, and the whites of the eggs well beaten, then add the remainder of the flour, and the wine and brandy. Mix all thoroughly together. Cover the bottom and sides of two square tin pans with white paper, well buttered, pour the mixture in, adding the fruit as formerly directed, first dredging it with flour, and bake four hours. After it is taken from the oven, and a little cooled, ice it thickly.​
 
Last edited:
As we speak/read we are waiting for mother-in-law to arrive from her farm to spend Christmas with us. She will have 2 fruit cakes ... a gluten free (for the family members who have this need) and a "normal" one.

She should have the Christmas pudding too :hungry:
 
I NEVER ate fruitcake, until I tried a slice from one I was gifted 25+ years ago and couldn't believe how good it was! I buy one every year now, primarily for myself. Fruity, chewy, sweet and not much cake. Collinstreet.com I've tried others, and they just don't cut it. Not cheap, but its worth it to me.
The previous posted recipes sound good, although liquor in cake is not pleasing to me.
Merry Christmas
Bob
 
Yes! Thanks for bringing this thread back up! It's nice for us newbies! Great recipes! I am such a fruitcake lover (homemade is best but I do love me some slices Claxton, GA with my coffee in the morning)! One of my Aunties would make the cookies! Pure Heaven! My daughter makes her own from a Martha Stewart recipe she adapted and it is the only one my husband will eat. She soaks the fruit in spiced rum before she makes it. Won't tell me her secret! Dang it!
 
And then you have to dry out the eater? Always wondered if fruitcake was an alcohol delivery system.
Oh it is, my good man, it is!


Third verse: "We never eat fruitcake because it has rum
And one little bite turns a man to a bum!
Can you imagine a sorrier sight
Than a man eating fruitcake until he gets tight?!"
 
We soak the dried fruit in cider for several days prior, then baste the cake with rum or brandy after it's finished baking.
Indeed, I was surprised by some of the recipes above that don't involve that final step. I'd always thought the whole cake was supposed to steep in whiskey or brandy or rum or some combination of such, up in the attic, for like a month or so.
 
My daughter has bought the candied fruit for her fruit cakes and is gathering the rest of the ingredients as we speak! She already has a few requests in for her yummy fruit cake! She is thinking of making smaller cakes this year, maybe, last year she made ones in Bundt pans and then cut them in half to give out to the folks who asked for some. I suggested mini loaves this time around for easier gift giving.
 
I could never stand fruit cake, but I know many people enjoy them. So I will not recount the many legends involving involving fruit cakes that saved soldiers lives in WWII by stopping bullets and shrapnel.
I am afraid that bullets would go right through my fruitcake, and most others I had encountered. Even if it is a bit dry, you can warm it up in the microwave and serve it with lemon or vanilla sauce and it is still good.
 
Back
Top