Authentic Varina Howell Davis' Pound Cake

[Eleanor Rose]

Varina Howell Davis (Library of Congress)​

This recipe is from the personal collection of Varina Howell Davis, Jefferson Davis' wife. Her original recipes were given to Beauvoir by her daughter, Margaret (pictured below).


Varina Howell Davis' Pound Cake

Ingredients:
12 eggs
1 lb. sugar
1 lb. butter
1 lb. all-purpose flour
1 wine glass of wine


Directions:
Cream the butter, stir the sugar into it, separate eggs, beat very light, mix in the ingredients, bake very slowly.


This is Margaret's wedding portrait. She was the only one of the Davis children to marry, bear children, and outlive her parents. On New Year's Day in 1876 she married J. Addison Hayes in Memphis.

(Courtesy of Beauvoir, Biloxi, Miss.)​

 

[AshleyMel]

Well, I have never seen a pound cake recipe with wine! This is new to me!
I am wondering what the texture of this would be.
Pound cake is one of my favorites.

 

[donna]

Sounds good to me. Love both photos. She and her daughter were lovely.

 

[Deleted User CS]

Ellie. Thanks for sharing Varina Davis' delicious pond cake recipe. I enjoy a good pound cake this time of the year with a fruit compote. David.

 

[randy596]

what does it mean separate eggs - then put them together again in the mix?
I'm not a pound cake expert, sorry.

 

[Eleanor Rose]

what does it mean separate eggs - then put them together again in the mix?
I'm not a pound cake expert, sorry.

Great question! It just means the egg yolk is removed from the egg white. This allows one part of the egg to be used without the other part, or each part to be treated in different ways. You can actually purchase an egg separator or you can do it by hand.

 

[AshleyMel]

Sometimes, when you separate eggs, the whites are used for a meringue top. I'm not sure why you would separate these eggs if you were only going to mix them in anyway.

 

[Eleanor Rose]

Are you sure this wasn't called Varina Howell Davis' Pound Sand cake...

The recipe I found calls it a pound cake. Sand cake usually (not always) has cornstarch as an ingredient. What makes you ask? Have you seen this recipe identified as a sand cake? Sand cake is delicious. Do you have a recipe you could share?

 

[lelliott19]

Thanks for sharing this recipe @Eleanor Rose Ive never heard of wine in pound cake either, but if it has wine in it, you know its got to be good. @John Winn I know you enjoy fine wines. Have you seen this recipe? Can you tell us which wines might be best?

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

There's precedent for alcohol in cakes, right? I mean, when they set the Christmas pudding ablaze you can light up the room with what happens. Mom used wine a lot although that was mostly sauces.

Nice to see the everyday stuff from Varina.

 

[John Winn]

Thanks for sharing this recipe @Eleanor Rose Ive never heard of wine in pound cake either, but if it has wine in it, you know its got to be good. @John Winn I know you enjoy fine wines. Have you seen this recipe? Can you tell us which wines might be best?

I have to say I've never seen a recipe for pound cake that called for wine so it's a guess but I think I'd certainly stick to white and probably something relatively dry (typical in cooking); maybe a pinot gris, albarino, or chardonnay. Sauvignon blanc seems a little too dry for cake somehow. Best I can do !

 

[AshleyMel]

Well, I just might have to give this one a try! Not sure I have any wine in the pantry though. Might be behind the moonshine...

 

[Shalom Hobbitess]

There's precedent for alcohol in cakes, right?

There are a lot of recipes from the 1800s with alcohol in them -- or with a lot more alcohol than most modern versions, when it comes to things like Marlburough Pie -- in part, I would guess, for alcohol's preserving qualities. The wine is the major flavoring here so I'd go with something you know you like that won't over power it, a white wine probably, although somewhere I saw someone recommending sherry.

I've never seen a pound cake recipe where the eggs are divided before; most recipes for pound cake, air is beaten into the butter for the rising agent, then the butter and sugar are beaten, and then eggs beaten in after that. Once that mixture is all light and airy, you add the rest of the ingredients. She's got them in that order, and doesn't tell you want to do with the eggs once separated, so maybe she meant to write 'add eggs and beat them in'?

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

There are a lot of recipes from the 1800s with alcohol in them -- or with a lot more alcohol than most modern versions, when it comes to things like Marlburough Pie -- in part, I would guess, for alcohol's preserving qualities. The wine is the major flavoring here so I'd go with something you know you like that won't over power it, a white wine probably, although somewhere I saw someone recommending sherry.

I've never seen a pound cake recipe where the eggs are divided before; most recipes for pound cake, air is beaten into the butter for the rising agent, then the butter and sugar are beaten, and then eggs beaten in after that. Once that mixture is all light and airy, you add the rest of the ingredients. She's got them in that order, and doesn't tell you want to do with the eggs once separated, so maybe she meant to write 'add eggs and beat them in'?

I read a recipe that included brandy. It was wonderful. You went through all the steps- mix dry together, etc., whip eggs, sugar, butter, etc, combine everything- then drink the 1/2 cup of brandy. Laughed so hard I forgot to drink it.

 

[donna]

Many cakes call for some type alcohol. I always think of Kentucky Bourbon Cake.

I did find another pound cake with wine. It called for sparkling white wine. I have to get site and post.

 

[donna]

The pound cake is Vanilla Sparkling Wine Pound Cake.
https://www.bhg.com/recipe/pound-cakes/vanilla-sparkling-wine-pound-cake/