Election Cake

Election Cakes, which appeared in the first cookbook by an American, Amelia Simmons, were labeled 'old fashioned' in Child’s 1830 "The Frugal Housewife" and by 1850, in Beecher, they were at least '100 years old.' New England sites appeared in several titles such as Old Hartford Election Cake, Connecticut Election Cake and even one Salem Election Cake [in "Buckeye Cookery" with Old Hartford Election Cake]. Other authors who included Election Cakes ranged from Eliza Leslie, 1840, Esther Howland, 1845, F.I. Gillette, 1887 and Fannie Farmer, 1896. One book, "Hartford Election Cake and Other Receipts chiefly from Manuscript Sources," Hartford, 1889, listed eleven different Election Cakes and Election Cake Yeast receipts.

The Frugal Housewife by Child, Lydia Maria Francis. 1830
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches. by Leslie, Eliza. 1840
The New England Economical Housekeeper by Howland, Esther Allen. 1845
Miss Beecher's Domestic Receipt Book by Beecher, Catharine Esther. 1850 Old Hartford Election Cake (100 years old)
Jennie June's American Cookery Book by Croly, Jane Cunningham. 1870 CONNECTICUT ELECTION CAKE
Buckeye Cookery by Wilcox, Estelle Woods. 1877 OLD HARTFORD ELECTION CAKE and SALEM ELECTION CAKE
The Woman Suffrage Cook Book by Burr, Mrs. Hattie A. 1886 Mother's Election Cake
White House Cook Book by Gillette, F.L. 1887
Hartford Election Cake and Other Receipts cheifly from Manuscript sources. Ellen Johnson. Hartford: 1889 11 cakes and EC yeast receipts
Favorite Dishes by Shuman, Carrie V. 1893 ELECTION CAKE & CONNECTICUT 2 recipes
The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Farmer, Fannie Merritt. 1896 ELECTION CAKE [1 cup bread dough]
Hood's Practical Cook's Book. 1897. March Meeting Loaf (Mass., dried blueberries) or in NH,

Articles

From Great Cake to Curiosity - On the trail of the Hartford Election Cake. CHNY article
Election Cake. Modern interpretation from Culinary Historians of NY article
Election Cake by Alice Ross
Election Cake. Foodtimeline

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