1650 to 1799 Cake #5

Moravian Sugar Cake

The Moravian settlers in America were known for their church, schools, and their baking. During church they had "love feasts" where they would pass around warm yeast buns and sweetened coffee. Many recipes were passed down from mother to daughter, including one of America's first coffee cakes from the 1700s. They used a starter yeast and mashed potatoes in the dough. For many generations this cake has been served at the Easter morning service at church.

When you see the pictures of the making of this cake you may be a bit shocked to see how much butter there is on top. I usually say, "the more butter, the better!", but I even was a little wary. In the recipe, it instructs the baker to dimple the top so that the brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter collects into "puddles". I believe that I should have made bigger and deeper dimples to form more visible indentations, but I do not think that it was a detriment to this cake.

The cake was soft and fluffy and super buttery. It was warm and comforting; perfect for a cold morning. The Moravians know what they are doing; they almost converted me;)