Se Mat Tidslinje , vilket förklarar att historiskt sett var skåpet till kakan mer en berikad, sötad bröd, förbättrad med honung, kanske med tillsatser av frukt eller nötter. De skulle ha varit närmare vad vi tycker om som fruktkaka.
Enligt dem kom prekursorerna till moderna kakor på grund av mer tillförlitliga ugnar och tillgången på raffinerat socker. De var bakade i en ring eller en ram och täckt med kokt sockeris.
Äkta moderna kakor kom inte fram tills bakpulver blev tillgängliga:
It was not until the middle of the 19th century that cake as we know it today (made with extra refined white flour and baking powder instead of yeast) arrived on the scene. A brief history of baking powder. The Cassell's New Universal Cookery Book [London, 1894] contains a recipe for layer cake, American (p. 1031). Butter-cream frostings (using butter, cream, confectioners [powdered] sugar and flavorings) began replacing traditional boiled icings in first few decades 20th century. In France, Antonin Careme [1784-1833] is considered THE premier historic chef of the modern pastry/cake world. You will find references to him in French culinary history books.
Jag kunde inte enkelt hitta historiska recept på mycket gamla prekursorer till kakor.
Arkivet av The Old Foodie innehåller ett recept som det indikerar är cirka 1769, vilket är i den raffinerade sockertiden, som representerar ett av de tidiga övergångsrecepten:
Gateaux d’Amandes. Almond Cake.
Take half a Pound of Flour, half a Pound of pounded sweet Almonds, and five or six bitter with it, half a Pound of Sugar, six Eggs, and work it well all together; form it into a Cake; bake it on a sheet of Paper, well buttered; when cold, glaze it with a white Sugar-glaze: another Method for the same Sorts of Cakes; bake it in a Mould, or Baking-hoop; pound a Pound of sweet Almonds very fine, and one Dozen of bitter ditto, putting Whites of Eggs, to hinder them from turning to Oil; then put to it half a Pound of fine Sugar-powder by Degrees, two whole Eggs, Lemon-peel, finely chopped or rasped; when this is properly mixed, add eight Eggs, the Yolks and Whites first beat up separately; stir it, and mix it all properly; and pour it in the Mould, to bake about an Hour: serve in its natural Colour.