Beatrice Lang
Before the advent of electric mixers, cakes were made by hand, with a whisk, or with a wooden spoon. The first cakes, which date back to ancient times, were more bread-like and sweetened with honey. Nuts and dried fruits were often added. Over time, cakes evolved and became more refined in the mid-17th century due to advances in technology and ingredient availability. While cake mixes became popular in the 1950s, offering convenience and ease of preparation, some bakers still prefer to make cakes from scratch without electric mixers. Recipes like vanilla cake and pudding cake can be easily mixed by hand and produce delicious results.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Flour, sugar, butter, milk, vanilla essence, eggs |
| Baking equipment | Oven, mixing bowl, whisk, baking paper, cake tin |
| Recipe | Combine dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, bake |
| Baking time | 45-50 minutes |
| Baking temperature | 160°C / 320°F (fan/convection) or 180°C / 355°F (standard) |
| Icing | Vanilla buttercream frosting |
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What You'll Learn
Vanilla cake
The history of cakes dates back to ancient times, with the first cakes being more bread-like and sweetened with honey. Nuts and dried fruits were often added. Over time, cakes evolved and became more refined in the mid-17th century due to advances in technology and ingredient availability.
Today, we have access to electric mixers that make the cake-making process much easier. However, it is still possible to make delicious vanilla cakes without them. Here's a simple recipe that you can follow:
Ingredients:
- Plain flour
- Baking powder
- Sugar
- Butter or oil
- Milk
- Vanilla essence or extract
- Eggs (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 160°C / 320°F (fan/convection) or 180°C / 355°F (standard). Grease and line a 20 cm (8-inch) round cake tin with baking paper.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the plain flour and baking powder. Whisk in the sugar. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Add melted butter or oil, milk, vanilla essence or extract, and eggs (if using). Whisk everything together until well combined. The butter may solidify and make the batter lumpy, but this is okay.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden. To check if the cake is done, insert a skewer or toothpick into the centre; if it comes out clean, your cake is ready.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the tin for about 10 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. You can serve this cake as it is or with a simple vanilla buttercream frosting.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
In a bowl, beat together 125g (4.5 oz / 0.5 cup) softened butter with 1.5 cups of sifted icing sugar. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of milk, then beat until fluffy.
This vanilla cake recipe is perfect for any occasion, from birthdays to baby showers. It is a classic that can be elegantly simple or embellished with various toppings and decorations. Enjoy the process of baking and creating a delicious treat without the need for an electric mixer!
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Chocolate pudding cake
Cakes have been around since ancient times, with the first cakes being more bread-like and sweetened with honey. Nuts and dried fruits were often added. The ancient Egyptians were the first culture to show evidence of advanced baking skills. The precursors of modern cakes (round ones with icing) were first baked in Europe in the mid-17th century due to advances in technology and ingredient availability.
First, stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir together the wet ingredients (including the melted butter). Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then pour boiling sugar-water on top. This helps the cake separate into layers as it bakes, one cakey and the other saucy, like chocolate pudding. Finally, spread the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes.
This chocolate pudding cake is perfect as it is but can also be dressed up. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle hot fudge sauce on top, or dust with cocoa powder. You can also add nuts like chopped pecans or walnuts on top. This cake is best served warm right out of the oven, and it makes the house smell wonderful!
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Ancient cakes
The history of cakes dates back to ancient times, with the first cakes being very different from what we eat today. Ancient cakes were more bread-like and sweetened with honey, and nuts and dried fruits were often added. The ancient Egyptians were the first culture to show evidence of advanced baking skills, using honey and wheat to make cakes. In ancient Rome, cakes were made with eggs, butter, and cheese.
Over time, cakes evolved and adapted to different cultures and tastes, resulting in the countless varieties available today. In the Renaissance period (14th-17th century), cake designs became more elaborate with intricate decorations for special occasions. By the 17th century, cake hoops fashioned from metal or wood were placed on flat pans to shape the cakes. As time went on, baking pans in various shapes and sizes became readily available to the general public.
The precursors of modern cakes (round ones with icing) were first baked in Europe in the mid-17th century due to advances in technology and ingredient availability. This included more reliable ovens, the manufacture and availability of food moulds, and refined sugar. During the Great Depression, a surplus of molasses and the need to feed millions of economically depressed people in the United States led to the first line of cake in a box, establishing cake as a mass-produced good.
Today, modern innovations such as electric mixers and microwave ovens have made cake-making faster, more efficient, and accessible to experimentation with unique flavours and healthier alternatives.
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Medieval European cakes
The history of cakes dates back to ancient times, with the first cakes differing greatly from what we consume today. They were more bread-like and sweetened with honey, and nuts and dried fruits were often added. Medieval European bakers often made fruitcakes and gingerbread, which could last for several months. Honey cakes, including spiced ones, became a popular sweet treat in medieval Europe. They were known as lebkuchen or gingerbread. Lekach, the Yiddish word for honey cake, was initially used as a general term for sponge cake once sugar-sweetened cakes became common in the region.
The English word "cake" dates back to the 13th century and is derived from the Old Norse word "kaka". Medieval European meals for the middle class and nobility were structured differently from modern meals, without a specific dessert course. Instead, sweets were interspersed throughout the meal to refresh the palate between courses. Sugar was expensive and not always available, so medieval sweets used less sugar and more honey than we are accustomed to today.
A 13th-century recipe for a medieval honey cake involves mixing three measures of fine flour with honey, oil, and milk. This simple cake, which formed a part of celebratory occasions, was surprisingly tasty.
In addition to honey cakes, medieval Europeans also enjoyed a variety of other sweets, including custards, fritters, and cheese-based desserts such as cheesecake. They used a range of fruits, nuts, and spices in their desserts, including strawberries, apples, figs, raisins, currants, and almonds.
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Substitutions
Baking a cake without an electric mixer is simple and straightforward. A simple vanilla cake, for example, can be made with just six ingredients and one bowl.
To make a vanilla cake without an electric mixer, preheat your oven to 160°C / 320°F (fan/convection) or 180°C / 355°F (standard). Grease and line a 20 cm (8-inch) round cake tin with baking paper. In a large mixing bowl, sift together plain flour and baking powder. Whisk in sugar. Create a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add melted butter, milk, and vanilla essence. Whisk everything together until well combined. The butter may solidify and make the batter lumpy, but that's okay. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
You can make substitutions to this recipe as well. For example, you can replace the sugar with a baking sweetener like Splenda Original Granulated Sweetener. Additionally, you can use oil instead of butter and add coconut extract for a coconut cake variation.
If you're looking for a chocolate cake option, a pudding cake is a great choice. This recipe is from before the Eisenhower era and doesn't require any creaming of butter or whipping of egg whites. Simply stir together the dry ingredients, combine the wet ingredients (including melted butter), mix the wet and dry ingredients, and then pour boiling-hot sugar-water on top. The hot syrup helps the cake separate into layers as it bakes, resulting in a cakey layer and a saucy, pudding-like layer.
With these recipes and substitutions, you can easily bake delicious cakes without relying on an electric mixer.
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Frequently asked questions
Cakes were made by hand with a whisk or a spoon.
A simple vanilla cake can be made with just 6 ingredients and one bowl.
Simple cakes like vanilla cake, coconut cake, and chocolate pudding cake can be made without an electric mixer.
Brownies, granola, and puffed rice treats can be made with just a whisk or a spoon.
It's important to follow the recipe closely and use the right ingredients. For example, using granulated sugar instead of caster sugar can make the cake denser.
