Honey Cakes & Ginger Cakes | Sleepy Hollow

Last Updated on May 18, 2022

In American Cookery, published in 1796, we start to see the use of pearlash. Pearlash is potassium carbonate, an alkaline from wood ash. Today we use bicarbonate soda, baking powder or self-raising flour, but the use of pearlash allowed for a more cake-like consistency, rather than a cookie. It’s possible the change in density drove the name change between cakes and cookies.

At some point in history, cakes (whether tea cakes or sweet cakes) began being called cookies or biscuits, depending on the country. At the time of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, it’s possible there was a transition happening. The first American cookbook American Cookery by Amelia Simmons (published in 1796) gave cookies (or cookey in some cases) their own category in a cookbook. However, it’s possible that the use of the word ‘cakes’ took a while to a while to transition across to the word cookie.

Honey cakes, called Honingkoeks in Dutch, is a popular breakfast due to its cake-bread combined consistency.For the ginger cakes, I found two recipes under the same name. One was a breakfast cake, like the honey cake, but baked with sugared ginger pieces. The other recipe, and the one we’ve chosen, is a gingerbread cake.

Ginger cakes

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• Author: Bryton Taylor; Food in Literature
• Total Time: 55 mins

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup molasses or golden syrup
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ginger
• 2 eggs

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F/175C.
2. Cream the sugar and butter together, then add the molasses and water.
3. Mix together before adding in the eggs.
4. Finally, mix in the flour and spices.
5. Stir well and pour into a greased bread pan and bake for 30 -40 minutes.

Notes

Loaf pan used: 23 x 12 x 7 cm
source: the dutch table.com

• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

honeycakes

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• Author: Bryton Taylor; Food in Literature
• Total Time: 50 mins

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups sself-raisingflour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F/175C.
2. Mix all the ingredients together until combined.
3. Pour into a greased bread pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Notes

Loaf pan used: 23 x 12 x 7 cm
source: the dutch table.com

• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins