Neddy’s Kitchen

This recipe is from the Washington home at Mount Vernon, Virginia where Mrs. Washington’s cake is on display at Christmastime. The original cake recipe below was one of her favorite recipes.

Martha Washington’s Great Cake
(from Mount Vernon)

Take 40 eggs and divide the whites from the yolks and beat them to a froth. Then work 4 pounds of butter to a cream and put the whites of eggs to it a Spoon full at a time till it is well work’d. Then put 4 pounds of sugar finely powdered to it in the same manner then put in the Yolks of eggs and 5 pounds of flour and 5 pounds of fruit. 2 hours will bake it. Add to it half an ounce of mace and nutmeg half a pint of wine and some fresh brandy.

The curatorial staff at Mount Vernon notes that when they made Mrs. Washington’s cake they followed her recipe “almost” exactly. For the five pounds of fruit, they used two pounds of raisins, one pound of currants, and two pounds of apples. They used cream sherry for the wine. Martha Washington baked her famous cake in one layer, however there is no pan now at Mount Vernon large enough to hold all of the batter, therefore the staff baked the batter in two 14 inch layers and afterwards stacked them. A 350 degree oven was used for 1 1/2 hours. The resulting cake was iced with a very stiff egg-white based frosting flavored with rosewater or orange-flower water.

Martha Washington’s Great Cake was originally uploaded by barneykin. It is posted here from

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup warm milk
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons mace
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 cup brandy
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 large orange, juiced and rind grated
1 teaspoon baking soda disolved in 2 tablespoons warm water
1 cup raisins tossed in flour (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together the softened butter and brown sugar.
Fold in molasses, warm milk, spices and brandy.
Beat eggs until very light and thick.
Sift the flour with the cream of tartar and add dry misture alternately with the beaten eggs into the batter.
Mix in the juice and the grated rind of the orange.
Dissovle soda in a little warm water, and stir in.
Beat until very light.
Fold in raisins if desired.
Bake in a 9 x 13 pan for about 40-45 minutes (325 degrees for glass pan).

This gingerbread recipe is based upon one served at Kenmore Plantation in Fredericksburg, Virginia and published in “Virginia Hospitality”, 1975.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla

• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until eggs stand up in stiff peaks, but are not dry.
• Boil sugar and water for two minutes.
• Immediately pour boiling syrup into egg whites, beating at highest speed on mixer.
• When icing becomes stiff enough to spread (about 2-4 minutes), add vanilla.

Spread between layers, on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with 2 cups fresh coconut, shredded (optional).

From "Virginia Hospitality", 1975. 

This is a wonderful easily made cake that forms its own meringue frosting as it bakes. 

Cream together until fluffy –
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sugar 

Beat until lemon colored and add –
4 egg yolks

Sift together and add –
1 scant cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Add and mix well –
3 tablespoons milk

Pour into a greased and floured 9" square pan. Spread top with meringue –
4 egg whites, beaten to foam

Gradually add and beat to stiff peaks –
3/4 cup sugar

Fold in carefully –
1/2 cup English walnuts, finely chopped

Bake 40 minutes in a 375 degree oven, until the meringue is light brown and inserted toothpick comes out dry.

(From "Hadley’s Natural Foods Cookbook", 1977)