Questions & Answers
Pound Cakes, Spelling in Old Cookbooks

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Question:

I want to thank you for the information I found on your web page regarding Pound Cakes. Be assured I will be referencing your name and web site when I give my speech later this month. However, I do have one question: With regards to the Pound Cake, I noticed that "sugar" was spelled "fugar" Was this how the recipe was originally printed in the first cookbook or is this a typo on your web page? Thank for your input. - Lana (2/4/05)
 

Answers:

This is how the recipe was printed in the cookbook. It seems the "F" was used in place of "S" in lots of recipes. If you look at the spelling of both of the recipes below, you will see that a lot of terms were spelled differently:

POUND CAKE - One pound fugar, one pound butter, one pound flour, ten eggs, rofe water one gill, spices to our tafte; watch it well, it will bake in a flow oven in 15 minutes.

Another (called) POUND CAKE - Work three quarters of a pound butter, one pound of good fugar, till very white, whip ten whites to a foam, add the yolks and beat together, add one fpoon rofe water, two of brandy, and put the whole to one and a quarter of a pound flour, if yet to foft add flour and bake flowly.
 

Check out Linda's History of Cakes.