Southern Cookery: Pies and Cakes

Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.

From What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking, by Abby Fisher, 1881.

[Abby Fisher, born an enslaved person in Alabama, relocated to San Francisco to start a pickling business. Her cookbook was the second ever published by a Black woman in the United States.]

Pies, Cakes, and Misc. Sweets

Pastry for making Pies of all kinds

One pound of flour nicely sifted to quarter pound of butter and one quarter pound of lard, one teaspoonful of salt, fine, mixed in flour while dry; then with your hands rub the butter and lard into the flour until thoroughly mixed, then add enough cold water and mix with your hands so as to make pastry hold together, be sure not have it too wet; sprinkle flour very lightly on pastry board, and roll pastry out to the thickness of an egg-shell for the top of fruit, and that for the bottom of fruit must be thin as paper. In rolling pastry, roll to and from you; you don't want more than ten minutes to make pastry.

Preparing the Fruit for Pies

One gill of water to four pounds rhubarb; first peel the rhubarb; sweeten to taste while cooking, and put into pastry when cold.

Prepare apples same way; season with cinnamon.

Peaches the same way; season with cinnamon.

Lemon Pies

Take four eggs, one tablespoonful of butter to one and a half tea-cup of powdered sugar, rub butter and sugar together until a cream, then add the yolks of the eggs to butter and sugar, and beat until light; beat the white of the egg until perfectly light, and add to the others. Take two lemons, roll them with your hands, on board until soft, then grate peel of lemons and put into preparation, then squeeze juice of lemons into preparation. All articles in this preparation should be well mixed together and put in pastry, and baked immediately in a hot oven. Only one layer of pastry at bottom of pie plate.

Cocoanut Pie

One cocoanut fresh, draw off the milk, then place the nut in a hot oven and let it stay long enough for the shell to pull off; then grate with the nut juice one tea-cup of powdered white sugar, one tablespoonful of butter and lard rubbed together until creamed, then take the yolks of four eggs and beat into sugar and butter until perfectly light; grate the rind of one lemon into it, and squeeze the juice of the lemon into the creamed butter and sugar; beat the white of four eggs light, and add also to creamed butter and sugar, and stir them well, add also one-half tea-cup of sweet milk. Will make three pies. Use a half pound of flour for the pastry, one tablespoonful each of butter and lard you only want crust at the bottom of plate, and bake in quick oven. Mix flour as directed prior.

Cream Apple Pie

The best of apples to be used. To two pounds of apples use a gill of water; put on fire to steam till the apples will mash perfectly fine and soft; sweeten to taste and let them cool. Season with powdered cinnamon one-half teaspoonful of the best. Have one crust of pastry only, and that at the bottom of plate; fill plate with the fruit, then bake quickly in a hot oven. Take one pint of fresh cream sweetened to taste; beat the white of five eggs light, and add to the cream; flavor with vanilla.

Beat the cream lightly before adding the eggs, then with a spoon spread over pies on sending to table.

Sweet Potato Pie

Two pounds of potatoes will make two pies. Boil the potatoes soft; peel and mash fine through a cullender while hot; one tablespoonful of butter to be mashed in with the potato. Take five eggs and beat the yolks and whites separate and add one gill of milk; sweeten to taste; squeeze the juice of one orange, and grate one-half of the peel into the liquid. One half teaspoonful of salt in the potatoes. Have only one crust and that at the bottom of the plate. Bake quickly.

Custard Pie

Half dozen eggs beaten together lightly; one pint of sweet milk; sweeten to taste. Grate one nutmeg in it. Have one crust only, and that at the bottom of plate, Use deep plates and bake quickly. It will make two nice pies.

Gooseberry and Cherry Pies

Prepared the same way. "Use one gill of water to two pounds of either fruit; sweeten to taste, leaving it a little tart. When it cools, put into plates for baking, having two crusts, top and bottom of plate. Bake quickly, and send to table cold.

Orange Pie

Peel the oranges; cut them very thin and spread with sugar thickly. Have your pie crust rich, the same as other pie pastry. Lay bottom crust in plate, and put in the oranges with juice, then cover over with top crust, and put to bake in a quick oven.

Light Bread Pie

Take stale bread and grate it. To one and one-half teacupfuls of the grated bread, add two teacupfuls of sweet milk, the juice of one orange, and half of the peel grated. Stir the yolks of four eggs beaten light into it. Take the whites of the four eggs beaten very light and meringue the pies after baking. Put half teacupful of sugar and one tablespoonful of butter to the prepared bread. Have one crust only, and that at the bottom of plate. Bake quickly.

Cracker Pie

To be made the same as bread pie, except flavor with one-half teaspoonful of ground cloves, one-half teaspoonful of ground cinnamon, and one tablespoonful of butter.

Mince Pies

One beef tongue boiled tender, then take the skin off; four pounds beef kidney suet, peel all the skin off it and chop very fine with the tongue; two pounds citron chopped fine, four pounds apples, four pounds raisins well seeded, four pounds currants well washed and dried with a towel, four oranges, the peel of two grated, and the fruit of all four grated into mince meat, two tablespoonfuls of ground allspice, one tablespoonful of cloves, two nutmegs grated, and two tablespoonfuls of ground cinnamon. Chop the whole very fine, and mix well together, then put in one-half gallon sherry wine, and one-half gallon brandy. Grate two lemons in the meat. Salt to your taste, also sweeten to your taste. Have bottom and top crust.

Gold Cake

Take one dozen eggs and separate the yolks from the white, and beat the yolks very light; one pound of butter, one pound of flour and one pound of powdered sugar; rub the butter and sugar together until creamed very light, then add the beaten yolks of the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar, and beat again until light. Take two teaspoonfuls of the best yeast powder, and sift with the one pound of flour, then add this flour to the creamed butter and eggs, with a half teacupful of sweet milk, and stir the whole hard and fast till light, then grate the peel of one lemon and squeeze the juice in the cake and stir well.

Silver Cake

The whites of one dozen eggs beaten very light, one pound of butter, one pound of powdered sugar; rub the butter and sugar together until creamed very light, then add the beaten whites of the eggs, and beat all together until very light; two teaspoonfuls of the best yeast powder sifted with one pound of flour, then add the flour to the eggs, sugar and butter, also add one-half teacupful of sweet milk; mix quickly, and beat till very light; flavor with two teaspoonfuls of the extract of almond or peach, put in when you beat the cake the last time. Put to bake in any shape pan you like, but grease the pan well before you put the cake batter in it. Have the stove moderately hot, so as the cake will bake gradually, and arrange the damper of stove so as send heat to the bottom of the cake first. This instruction of baking applies to all cakes except tea cakes.

Almond Cake

Is made in the same way that the silver and gold cakes are, except you take one teacup of almonds, scald them in hot water, wipe them with a cloth and the peeling will come off. Either split or chop them fine; suit yourself in this respect. Use the whites or the yolks of one dozen eggs. With the whites of the eggs it will be a silver almond cake; the yolks used alone will be a gold almond cake.

Feather Cake

One teacup of butter, two of flour, two of sugar. Cream the flour and butter together; two teaspoonfuls of yeast powder to one teacup of sweet milk. Mix all with the flour and beat light with a large spoon. To be baked in round tins. Grease well and bake in a moderately hot stove.

Sponge Cake

Take one dozen eggs and put in scales as the balance for weighing an equal quantity of sugar. Then balance flour to the weight of six eggs. Beat the yolks of the dozen eggs with the sugar very light, then beat the whites very light and add to the other. Grate the peel of one lemon into it also, squeezing the juice in, and then stir the flour in lightly. Have your pans in readiness, grease with butter, and place white paper at bottom of pan. This should be done for all cakes. A sponge cake should not stand a second after made before it is baked. Bake in a medium oven, keeping heat at bottom.

Fruit Cake

One pound of flour sifted and browned in stove, one pound of citron sliced into very small pieces, one pound of raisins cut in small pieces, one pound of currants well washed and dried with clean towel, one tea-cup of almonds chopped fine, one tablespoonful of powdered cinnamon, half a teaspoonful of mace, one tablespoonful of allspice, half a teaspoonful of ground cloves, one pint of black molasses strained before using, one wineglass of brandy, one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one dozen eggs. Beat whites and yolks separate, light, before adding to cake.

Jelly Cake

For this cake make an orange marmalade and use in the place of jelly, as it makes a more delicious cake. Following are the directions: Half a dozen oranges to a teacup of granulated sugar; peel oranges and grate them, pick out the seed and pith, add sugar to oranges and stir well and put to cook; stir while cooking; twenty minutes will cook it. It must be made a day before using it for cake. For making the cake, one teacup of butter to two of sugar, three of flour and half a dozen eggs. Beat the whites and yolks of eggs separate, very light. Cream butter and sugar together, add the yolks of eggs to creamed sugar and butter, then add the whites, and add flour and stir till light. Sift two teaspoonfuls of best yeast powder with the flour.

With the above directions the cake is made. Place it in the pans and put to bake; fifteen minutes will bake it. Spread marmalade over the cake after it is baked. Icing for the cake: Take the whites of four eggs and beat them very light indeed. Add three tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, beat sugar and eggs together light, and spread on cake while cake is warm. Take one tea-cup of fine grated cocoanut and sprinkle over cake while icing is soft.

Carolas

Five eggs to two cups of sugar; break eggs into the sugar and beat the whole till perfectly light. Sift one quart of flour; take one-half teacup of sweet milk and put a level teaspoonful of soda in it, without lumps; one teaspoonful of salt. Flavor with the juice of one orange, the peel of half an orange, grated, and one teaspoonful of butter. Make the dough in the same way as for light bread; roll out dough as for biscuit. Cut them out five inches by two inches, slice them two inches in the middle and stretch open a little. Have your fat boiling hot, but do not let it burn. Put carolas in hot fat, shake skillet gradually till brown. As you take them out of the fat, lay them in a pan on clean paper, so as to drain grease from them.

Raised Cake

One quart flour, half a pound butter, one pint sugar, two eggs, half a teacup yeast, one teacup seeded raisins, one and one-half teacups currants. Cream butter and sugar together, then add the flour. Break eggs in, add yeast and beat the whole well. Lastly, add the fruit, stir all well and put it to rise. With good yeast it will rise in an hour. After rising, make off and put into pans greased with butter. When you make off the second time and put in pans, first take a tablespoonful of flour with a teaspoonful of soda and sift into the batter; it will rise in thirty minutes. Then put to bake.

Old-Time Ginger Cake

One pint molasses, one quart flour, one-half teacup brown sugar, one teacup butter, one tablespoonful cinnamon, two tablespoonsful ginger, one teacup sour milk. With it mix a teaspoonful soda and three eggs. Cream butter and sugar together, then add molasses, then flour, then eggs, then milk, then ginger and cinnamon; stir thoroughly and put to bake in oblong pans.

Ginger Cookies

One teacup of molasses, one-half teacup of sugar, one tablespoonful of butter, one tablespoonful of lard, one quart of flour, two tablespoonfuls of ginger, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, one teaspoonful of allspice, two tablespoonfuls of yeast powder. Cream butter and sugar together and add molasses. Sift yeast powder and flour together and add to butter, sugar and molasses, then add lard and spices, etc., and work it up well. Roll out on a board, and cut them out and bake like you would a biscuit.

Jumble Cake

One teacup of butter, one and one-half teacups of sugar, one and one-half pints of flour; four eggs, two teaspoonfuls of cinnamon, one-half teacup of almonds chopped fine, two teaspoonfuls of yeast powder sifted in the flour. Beat the butter, sugar and eggs together, then add the flour. Put cinnamon and almonds in and work the whole up well, then roll on the board to thickness of half an inch, and cut out a finger's length and join together at ends, so as to be round. Grease pans with butter and put to bake.

Sweet Wafers

One teacup each of butter and sugar creamed together, one grated orange, four eggs, one tablespoonful of cinnamon. Add three pints of flour and make up stiff. Then roll out on a board and cut them out about the size of a biscuit, and roll again till thin as paper, and bake in a quick oven. Watch close while baking. You can roll them round on a fork handle while they are warm, if you like.

Fisher, Abby. What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking. Women's Co-operative Printing Office, 1881.

Abby Fisher

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