Election Cake Recipe, 1839

New Jersey’s first published cookbook, Economical Cookery: Designed to Assist the Housekeeper in Retrenching Her Expenses, by the Exclusion of Spiritous Liquors from Her Cookery (ca. 1839), was written by an anonymous author who urged women to take an active part in the Temperance Movement by eliminating liquors from their cooking. Within this book is a recipe for election cake, a recipe that dates back to 1700s. Election cakes were often an alcohol filled fruit cake brought to voting sites to help encourage people to vote a particular way. A further history of election cake can be found here.

"Economical Cookery," 1839. Rutgers Special Collections and University Archives - Rare Book Collection

1839

Tara Maharjan

Recipe for election cake found in Economical Cookery, 1838.