Tag Archives: cookbook

Snow Whirl Chocolate Roll from the 1930s

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By Ariane Gauthier

Alberta Sugar Makes Delicious Things to Eat is a booklet created by Canadian Sugar Factories some time in the 1930s to promote its production of “pure” Alberta beet sugar. This sugar is refined from thousands of sugar beet farms in the province, and the booklet includes a two-page exposé on the nuances of this farming culture. A great emphasis is put on what was then the most modern of mass-farming technology, likely to legitimize sugar beet farming, which was new and in fierce competition with the very popular (and largely preferred) cane sugar.

Booklet cover with image of a woman pouring sugar in a spoon over a pot. Three mason jars surround the pot on a counter and a bag of sugar is at the front of the image.

The booklet cover of Alberta Sugar Makes Delicious Things to Eat. (OCLC 1007785982)

This booklet is available in Library and Archives Canada’s published collections catalogue Aurora: OCLC 1007785982.

While the history of sugar in Alberta is quite interesting, what attracted me to this booklet was the historical context surrounding the publication of this book: the Great Depression. The booklet mentions that Canadian Sugar Factories started business in 1925, which means they only had about five years before the economic collapse derailed production and profitability. Perhaps this is why there is such a sense of desperation or defensiveness in dispelling misconceptions surrounding beet sugar at the end of its biographical exposé:

Page of booklet with seven points explaining why “beet sugar is the same as cane sugar” and two drawings of a train and a factory.

The cropped second page of The Story of Alberta Sugar, specifically the subsection “Beet sugar is the same as cane sugar,” from the booklet Alberta Sugar Makes Delicious Things to Eat. This is the note on which this corporate “biography” leaves the reader. Notice how points 1, 3, 4 and 7 essentially argue the same thing: that it is impossible to distinguish beet sugar from other types of sugar. (OCLC 1007785982)

Like many cookbooks published during the Great Depression, the recipes have an important emphasis on affordability and longevity: food had to be cheap, and it had to last. However, with this booklet emphasizing Alberta sugar, most of the recipes reflect sweets and pastries, which are decidedly neither of those things.

Nevertheless, I chose this booklet for its aesthetics and because the snow whirl chocolate roll recipe seemed tasty!

The image lists the ingredients and steps to follow for the snow whirl chocolate roll recipe.

The recipe for the snow whirl chocolate roll from Alberta Sugar Makes Delicious Things to Eat. Remarkably, it lists the oven temperature and cooking duration! (OCLC 1007785982)

As I flipped through the pages of the booklet, I noticed there was a section on frosting and icing. In keeping with the spirit of vintage cooking, I decided to pick one of each to pair with the cake: I chose the mountain cream icing for the filling and the fudge frosting for the exterior.

A blue outline indicates the mountain cream icing and fudge frosting recipes that were used for the snow whirl chocolate roll.

Frostings and Icings page from Alberta Sugar Makes Delicious Things to Eat. (OCLC 1007785982)

In both instances I was pleasantly surprised by the number of details that would guide the recipes I planned to undertake. Not only was I given oven temperatures, I was also given cooking times! The only thing I was truly missing was a Fahrenheit or Celsius indication of the “soft-ball” stage, but my handy-dandy candy thermometer filled in the blanks (the answer is about 240 ⁰F or 115 ⁰C). I was then off to the races!

I started by gathering all my ingredients.

Three side-by-side photos of the ingredients from all three recipes, including sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs, milk, etc.

All the required ingredients for the snow whirl chocolate roll (image on the left), the fudge frosting (image in the middle) and the mountain cream icing (image on the right). Photo credit: Ariane Gauthier.

I decided to begin with the snow whirl chocolate roll as it required time to cool down, during which time I would work on the frosting and icing. The first step was sifting all dry ingredients thrice. After, I separated the egg yolks and whites, whipping the whites into soft peaks. Here’s where I went a little rogue: rather than fold the sugar into the egg whites after whipping, I incorporated it during whipping, as this helps to give them more volume.

Four photos of the steps to follow to make the snow whirl chocolate roll.

I carefully cracked all four eggs and used the eggshells to separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Once this was done, I used an electric beater to whip the egg whites with the sugar until it formed soft peaks. Photo credit: Dylan Roy.

I then made a little mistake: I mixed the egg yolks and vanilla with the dry ingredients rather than the egg white mixture. This ultimately negated the sifting of the dry ingredients, but here’s how I fixed it: I added about half of the egg white mixture and mixed it all together vigorously until no clumps remained. What this effectively did was somewhat defeat the whole point of whipping the egg whites, which was to have an airy and light cake mixture. However, since I only used some of the egg white mixture, I was able to gently fold in what remained and maintain some of the lightness I had previously built.

Six side-by-side photos of all the ingredients being incorporated into a bowl to make a snow whirl chocolate roll.

Negating the whole point of sifting the dry ingredients by prematurely mixing in some of the wet ingredients. The steps in order from left to right of how I mixed the dry and wet ingredients together. The last two images show how I salvaged the mix: I used half of the egg white mixture and vigorously mixed it with the dry ingredients until no clumps remained, and then I gently folded in what remained. Photo credit: Ariane Gauthier.

Once this step is done, a cooking sheet with edges is required to cook the cake. This may appear a little thin at first, but you must remember that the cake will eventually be rolled. And so off it went into a 400 ⁰F oven for 13 minutes. Now, it was time for filling and garnish!

Every vintage cooking recipe is a new experience where I’ve at least done one thing I’ve never done before. In this case, I’d never used a candy thermometer, despite owning one for many years. It’s complex and stressful, but in times like these it’s best to just trust the process and believe that Canadian Sugar Factories knew what it was doing in the 1930s!

Two side-by-side images of a thermometer being used while making the mountain cream icing and the fudge frosting. A third image shows the fudge frosting being mixed with a whisk.

Using a candy thermometer to make mountain cream icing and fudge frosting. The candy thermometer had to be held in both instances as the end could not touch the bottom of the pan; otherwise, it would provide a false reading of the temperature. In both cases, the steam produced by both mixtures obscured the reading of the thermometer, making what was already a difficult step even harder. Photo credit: Dylan Roy.

I regret to say that I didn’t do great with the mountain cream icing. I’m unsure whether I pulled it from the heat too early or if I simply let too much water evaporate, but I was ultimately left with a dry and crumbly icing that did not spread well. However, it did taste fairly good on its own.

Comparatively, the fudge frosting fared much better, as I had learned from my mistakes. Though I admit to having been unpleasantly surprised with two unlisted ingredients: butter and vanilla. I advise that any who attempt this recipe have both measured and on hand.

Thirteen minutes later, the cake sheet was ready. Here, again, I must admit to having strayed from the instructions. I’ve made Yule logs before for the holidays and the instructions are very clear: immediately roll the cake sheet tightly in a clean dish cloth sprinkled with powdered sugar and wait for it to cool. Do not add your frosting immediately as the heat of the cake will cause it to melt. You will be left with a gooey mess! I heeded my previous experience and waited for the cake to cool down before frosting.

Seven photos of the steps to roll the cake, add the icing and add the frosting.

Cake rolling and cake frosting. Rolling the cake is easier than one might think; the challenge is knowing how long to let it cool down. While I let it get a tad too dry, the beauty of frosting is that it hides the cracks! Photo credit: Dylan Roy.

The trick with these kinds of cakes is that they have to cool enough to not melt the icing but not so much that they dry out. Unfortunately for me, I waited a little too long, and the cake cracked when I unrolled it. I was able to smear some icing to patch the cracks and was fortunately able to cover the rest up with the fudge frosting. As we say in French: ni vu, ni connu (literally: unseen, unknown)!

Two side-by-side photos of a cross-section of the snow whirl chocolate roll.

Cross-section of the snow whirl chocolate roll cake. As you can see, I didn’t quite have enough icing to fill out the inside completely. Photo credit: Ariane Gauthier.

What do you think?

The cake, icing and frosting were delicious! I brought it into the office and my colleagues were pleasantly surprised. Everyone was more or less in agreement that the best part was the fudge frosting—it could almost have been a dessert on its own!

If you try this recipe, please share pictures of your results with us using the hashtag #CookingWithLAC and tagging our social media: Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), YouTube, Flickr and LinkedIn.

For more content on historical cooking, please consider the following links:

Ariane Gauthier is a Reference Archivist in the Access and Services Branch at Library and Archives Canada.

Jellied Vegetable Salad: Less is More!

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By Rebecca Murray

When I opened the Canadian Army Recipe Book, I didn’t just look for sweets—my eyes also landed on a variety of savoury recipes for breads, meat pies, and salads. Enter the Jellied Vegetable Salad!

Blue, slightly worn book cover featuring the title “Canadian Army Recipe Book” in capital letters. Above the title is the Canadian Army badge topped by a St. Edward’s Crown. The badge displays three maple leaves on one stem and a pair of crossed swords, all in silvery grey.

Cover of the Canadian Army Recipe Book, published by the Department of National Defence,1961 (OCLC 299227447).

You might recognize jellied or layered salads from TV programs like That ‘70s Show or How I Met Your Mother. Or maybe you’ve had the “pleasure” of experiencing them firsthand at home. When I was invited to a family barbeque this past summer, I decided it was the perfect occasion to prepare this Jellied Vegetable Salad. But first, I had to assemble the ingredients and get cooking! Yes, you read that right—this salad involves actual cooking, which isn’t always fun in the summer heat, but it’s essential for pulling off this recipe!

Page of text featuring a recipe for jellied vegetable salad.

Recipe for Jellied Vegetable Salad from the Canadian Army Recipe Book (OCLC 299227447).

Because the original recipe was meant to feed a crowd, I had to adjust the quantities—time to do some math! This time, I took my own advice and measured MANY times before cooking.

Ingredient Original quantity (full) Adjusted quantity (quarter)
Gelatin 12 oz. 3 oz. (90 ml)
Water, cold 2.5 cups 0.625 cups (150 ml)
Sugar 12 oz. 3 oz. (90 ml)
Salt 6 oz. 1.5 oz. (45 ml)
Vinegar 3 cups 3/4 cups (180 ml)
Water, boiling 7 qt. 1.75 qt. or 7 cups (1.75 L)
Pepperberries 6 1.5
Whole cloves 4 1
Onions, chopped 6 oz. 1.5 oz. (45 ml)
Celery tops, chopped 6 oz. 1.5 oz. (45 ml)
Cabbage, shredded 2 lb. 1/2 lb. (250 g)
Carrots, grated 2 lb. 1/2 lb. (250 g)
Green peas, cooked 2 lb. 1/2 lb. (250 g)
Green beans, diced, cooked 2 lb. 1/2 lb. (250 g)
Pimentos, finely diced 2 oz. 1/2 oz. (15 ml)
Green peppers, finely diced 4 oz. 1 oz. (30 ml)
Fresh and dry ingredients presented on a green tea towel.

Ingredient prep, from left to right: green beans, cabbage, green pepper, carrots, gelatin packets, frozen peas, and the dry ingredients (sugar and salt). Photograph: Rebecca Murray.

Next up: ingredients! Once I’d figured out the quantities, I had to source the ingredients. Most were already in my pantry or easily purchasable. The one exception? Pepperberries, an Australian spice with fruity, spicy notes (not to be confused with peppercorns). Unable to find pepperberries and opting out of pimentos, I was pleasantly surprised the dish didn’t suffer for it. A last-minute save came from a VERY helpful neighbour who provided whole cloves. I also swapped green cabbage for purple, adding a vibrant twist that made the final dish not only delicious but a visual standout!

The structure of this recipe really resonated with me (and perhaps other archivists or cooks!). Grouping the ingredients into “A” and “B” made it easier to organize my prep work and keep everything separate as I worked. I was hesitant to alter the method, despite adjusting the quantities, but I did soak the gelatin for longer than the recommended 10 minutes and simmered the other “A” ingredients for five minutes while keeping a close eye (this smelled really good!).

One thing I would have appreciated is a time estimate for the cooling process in step 4. I left the mixture on the counter for about 45 minutes before moving on to the next step, which was honestly a bit intimidating, but also fun!

Here’s an in-progress look at the vegetables after I’d strained the broth (or “A” minus the gelatin and water) into “B.” I’m used to straining things over the sink, not into another bowl, so it was a near calamity when I headed to the sink, but I redirected myself to the counter in time for the first of two potentially perilous transfers!

An overview shot of a bowl filled with colourful vegetables in liquid.

A shot of the second part of step 4. Photograph: Rebecca Murray.

There was only one real “oopsie,” as pictured below. Surprisingly, it wasn’t during the risky transfer of hot broth (or “A” ingredients) into the awaiting “B” ingredients, but rather a clumsy attempt to rearrange the portions for a photo that caused a spill.

Three cups of purple jellied salad set against a green backdrop next to a larger bowl of the same dish. A small portion of the liquid and filling has spilled onto the green backdrop and grey counter.

Let’s not cry over spilled jellied salad—it almost looks like abstract art! Photograph: Rebecca Murray.

Overall, the feedback was positive, but my main takeaway is that less is more with this dish! It’s a relatively easy, make-ahead option and a perfect addition to any family gathering year-round.

A hand holding a small glass cup filled with jellied salad.

A perfect serving of the jellied salad! Photograph: Rebecca Murray.

Bon appétit!

If you try this recipe, please share pictures of your results with us using the hashtag #CookingWithLAC and tagging our social media: Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), YouTube, Flickr and LinkedIn.

For more recipes in this series, go to #CookingWithLAC.

Rebecca Murray is a Literary Programs Advisor in the Outreach and Engagement Branch at Library and Archives Canada.

Chocolate Cake from 1961

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Cooking with Library and Archives Canada bannerBy Rebecca Murray

Who doesn’t love a slice of rich, moist chocolate cake? That’s what I thought when I took on the challenge of trying out a recipe from this Canadian Army Recipe Book from 1961.

A blue book cover with some suggestions of wear with the words “Canadian Army Recipe Book” written in capital letters under the badge of the Canadian Army: the St Edward’s Crown, three maple leaves on one stem and a pair of crossed swords, all in silvery grey.

The cover of the Canadian Army Recipe Book by the Department of National Defence circa 1961 (OCLC 299227447).

As I reviewed the recipes, many of which were familiar to me, I remarked three notable trends.

One: the quantities. Most of the recipes are written for 100 servings or more! As a home cook, I’m used to halving or doubling recipes, not trying to figure if I want to make a quarter or a fifth of the recipe at hand. Honestly, my usual deciding factor is the number of eggs; hard to split those in two! In tandem with the expected output of the recipe, the ingredients are all measured here in weight rather than in volume, to which I am much more accustomed. It’s clear that, in comparison with my colleague who looked at army recipes from 1943, this recipe book isn’t concerned at all with rationing!

Two: the organization. I have never encountered such a well laid-out, detailed and descriptive (yet not overly descriptive) cookbook. The first chapter is a general introduction that spells out method particulars (including what “folding” means — a note for Schitt’s Creek fans!), conversion charts and suggestions for choosing cuts of meat and how to prepare other ingredients for best results. As you can see in the particular recipe I tried, it also provides handy references to other recipes in the book so that duplication is minimal. I have, of course, seen this in other cookbooks, but what makes this one different is that everything is numbered for very easy reference.

Three: the simplicity of it all. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised, but in this age of new and exciting recipes and an abundance of “how to build a mashed potato mountain complete with gravy lava and dinosaurs” videos online, I was pleasantly surprised to find a selection of recipes that really speak to the basics. There’s a clear link between effort for maximum output!

Chocolate Cake.

Brown Bread.

Baked Beans.

Doughnuts.

The list goes on, and many recipes include variations that might have been appropriate for different seasons or holidays. There’s also a handy section that I copied out about “haversack lunches” because as a mom, you can never have too many ideas for what to put in a lunchbox. But I digress!

Chocolate cake!

A page of text including notes and methods as well as a list of ingredients for chocolate cake.

Recipe for chocolate cake from the Canadian Army Recipe Book, 1961 (OCLC 299227447).

The first step was to decide on an approximate quantity (output) and adjust the recipe accordingly. If you’ve got an eagle eye, you’ll see that I’ve made a math mistake in my conversions: the original quantities for sugar and flour differ, but I’ve converted and adjusted them to be equal measures.

That said, I didn’t notice this until after having mixed the ingredients and seen the cake pans into the oven — a small mistake that didn’t have an immediate impact on the final dish (or taste). A good reminder to measure twice and mix once!

Ingredient Original quantity (full) Adjusted quantity (quarter)
Fat 3 pounds, 8 ounces ⅞ pounds (396 grams)
Sugar 7 pounds 1 ¾ pounds (793 grams)
Eggs 4 ⅔ cups (approximately 24) 6 eggs
Vanilla 3 tbsp ¾ tbsp
Flour, pastry, unsifted 6 pounds, 4 ounces 1 ¾ pounds (793 grams)
Cocoa 1 pound ¼ pound (113 grams)
Baking Powder 5 ounces 1 ¼ ounces
Salt 1 ounce ¼ ounce
Milk 2 ½ quarts 2 ½ cups

Next, I assembled the ingredients. This wasn’t too daunting of a task, the ingredients for this cake being part and parcel of the basic pantry of many home cooks. A note for those who might be curious: I chose to use butter as my “fat” in the recipe. Alas, my experience with the butter wrapper was nothing compared to the day that inspired this blog post.

Wet and dry ingredients for a cake arranged in various vessels on a green tea towel.

The mise-en-place or preparation of ingredients. From left to right: flour, vanilla, sugar, eggs, butter, cocoa/baking powder/salt, milk. Courtesy of the author, Rebecca Murray.

I mixed ingredients as indicated in the method and then combined them gradually. Confession: I’m not always great at following recipe instructions. I tend to want to rush ahead, and sometimes I don’t take the care suggested in the early stages of many recipes. I also had a sous-chef with me who didn’t appreciate the pauses for photo taking and re-reading of the recipe! That said, with a lot of trial and error, I can now usually muddle through most basic recipes with a good balance of respect for the suggested method and the splash of personality I like to bring to my cooking.

I divided the batter into three (yes, three!) different cake pans and set them to bake at 350 degrees for the suggested 30 to 45 minutes. The cakes smelled SO good! The round cake was ready after approximately 40 minutes and the square one closer to 45, whereas the bundt pan cake needed between 50 and 55 minutes to fully cook. Remember that every appliance is different and that the presence of three cakes rather than just one probably impacted the bake time.

Three cakes on wire cooling racks, all light brown in colouring.

Three cakes baked from this recipe as they cool on the counter. Courtesy of the author, Rebecca Murray.

We chose to ice one of the cakes with a basic homemade recipe of icing sugar, butter, a splash of milk, peppermint extract and food colouring.

A cross section shot of a brown cake topped with green frosting. The cake sits on a glass platter.

A post taste-test cross section shot of the iced cake. Delicious! Courtesy of the author, Rebecca Murray.

The final consensus from those who taste tested the various cakes is that the recipe stands the test of time. As someone who doesn’t usually make cakes from scratch, this was a great reminder of how simple recipes can be so good and that the extra steps didn’t really take too much more time than I might normally need when whipping up something with a mix. Next time, I’d try a more classic icing flavour and colour – but green mint was fun too!

If you try this recipe, please share pictures of your results with us using the hashtag #CookingWithLAC and tagging our social media: Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), YouTube, Flickr and LinkedIn.

Rebecca Murray is a Literary Programs Advisor in the Outreach and Engagement Branch at Library and Archives Canada.

Dutch Apple Cake from 1943

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Cooking with Library and Archives Canada bannerBy Ariane Gauthier

The Cook’s Recipe Manual is a collection of 300 recipes designed for military personnel who were part of the navy, army, air force munitions plants, camps, and schools. Printed in 1943, the goal of this cookbook was to make the most of army rations through simple recipes. Each recipe makes 100 or 125 servings, taking care to specify how many ounces should comprise a single serving. The recipes themselves were fitted for modest kitchens, meaning that the cook should still be able to successfully complete the recipe even if they don’t have electric cooking implements at their disposal.

This book is available online on Library and Archives Canada’s published collections catalogue Aurora: OCLC 3231635.

At the time that I picked up this book and undertook this latest challenge, we were well into autumn, and I had just returned home from apple picking with more apples than I could eat myself. I was flipping through the index of the cookbook, hoping to find an attractive recipe in which to funnel most of my apples, when I stumbled upon a recipe for “Dutch apple cake”.

The recipe for Dutch apple cake, including a list of ingredients and the instructions.

A photo of the recipe for Dutch apple cake from The Cook’s Recipe Manual (OCLC 3231635). Please note the breakdown of recipe ingredients into categories A, B, and C, as well as the yield of 100 four-ounce servings.

Beyond the exorbitant amount of apples required, part of what attracted me to this recipe was that I did not know what a Dutch apple cake was. While it isn’t too difficult to put together, I had no visual image of its modern equivalent to keep in mind as I assembled this recipe and so, unlike the previous two recipes I tried, I went into this challenge ignorant of the expected result. Nevertheless, the first step was to assemble the ingredients.

The ingredients for the recipe: apples, eggs, butter, baking powder, salt, flour, sugar, milk, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Ingredients used by the author to make the Dutch apple cake recipe from The Cook’s Recipe Manual. Courtesy of the author, Ariane Gauthier.

The next step was to do a bit of math, as I was not about to make a cake serving 100 portions. Instead, I settled on 10 portions and used the following quantities:

Biscuit dough
  • 2.6 cups of flour
  • 25 ml baking powder
  • 4.5 ml salt
  • 50 ml butter
  • 50 ml sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 150 ml (oat) milk
Apples
  • 900 g apples
Sugar and spice mix
  • 50 ml sugar
  • a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
Butter
  • 50 ml butter

The ingredients comprising the dough of the Dutch apple cake are divided into three sections, A, B, and C, marking the order in which they will be incorporated. The first step is to mix the dry ingredients and the fat (in this case I opted for butter). The added instruction in the original recipe of “as in making tea biscuit dough” is unclear, so I opted to ignore it. The most it told me was that the recipe was written with a somewhat experienced reader in mind. Similarly, I didn’t quite understand why the sugar needed to be added separately, but I adhered to the order of things all the same.

Dry ingredients from the recipe being mixed with a whisk.

All the dry ingredients from sections A and B mixed with a whisk. Courtesy of the author, Ariane Gauthier.

The last part of the dough recipe called to mix all the wet ingredients (section C) before incorporating them to the dry mix (sections A and B). I do not recommend using a whisk, as I did, because it’s incompatible with the thickness of the dough. I started using my hands before remembering that the cookbook’s author strongly recommended the use of electronic kitchen appliances, which I did possess but neglected during this phase of the process.

Side-by-side photos of an egg being cracked into a pan and dough being kneaded by hand.

Mixing the wet ingredients from section C with the dry ingredients from sections A and B. While the author used her hands, it’s recommended that you use a stand mixer should you possess one. Courtesy of the author, Ariane Gauthier.

Once the dough was made, it needed to be put onto a baking sheet or baking tray lined with parchment paper. Then it was time to peel and slice 900 g of apples, cut them into eighths and insert them into the cake “thin edge” first. This frankly felt wrong as I was doing it, but I pushed through all the same.

Side-by-side photos of dough in a baking dish lined with parchment paper and the baking dish with slices of apples on top of the dough, with a bowl of melted butter and a bowl of sugar and spice mix next to it.

Setting the dough into a baking dish lined with parchment paper. The next step is to then insert the apples. Courtesy of the author, Ariane Gauthier.

The final step was to make the sugar and spice mix and sprinkle it onto the cake as evenly as I could. Then I melted 50 ml of butter, which I drizzled overtop before sending it to the oven for 25 minutes at 400 ⁰F.

Side-by-side photos of the sugar and spice mix being sprinkled on top of the apple slices and the melted butter being drizzled on top of the apples and the sugar and spice mix.

Adding the sugar and spice mix and the butter onto the apple cake. This is the element chiefly responsible for giving the cake any flavour. Courtesy of the author, Ariane Gauthier.

Having never made a Dutch apple cake before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I felt as though this might very well be my first failure of a recipe, especially when I initially pulled the cake from the oven. It bubbled with butter and apple juice in a way that resembled a classic Québécois dish known as pouding chômeur, which, I was fairly certain, was wrong. For those who are unfamiliar, pouding chômeur is essentially a cake boiled in sweet syrup. However, part of the pleasure of following older recipes is opening the door to failure, and so I brought it to work the next day all the same for my colleagues to try. Here was the final result:

Side-by-side photos of the baked Dutch apple cake and a view of the layers after cutting into the cake.

The final product with a view of the cross section. Courtesy of the author, Ariane Gauthier.

What do you think?

I was surprised by how well it turned out, all things considered! The cake was fully cooked through, and the apples became quite jammy. That helped to keep the cake somewhat moist and wasn’t too sweet. I brought it to the Reference Section for another tasting and showed that, once again, these recipes can withstand the test of time!

If you try this recipe, please share pictures of your results with us using the hashtag #CookingWithLAC and tagging our social media: Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), YouTube, Flickr and LinkedIn.

Additional resources

Ariane Gauthier is a Reference Archivist in the Access and Services Branch at Library and Archives Canada.