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Courtesy Jennifer Schwarzkopf
This former First Lady loved to bake. Using a recipe from her favorite bakery in Kentucky, Mary made this delicious white cake her signature dessert.
First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln was quite fond of entertaining and especially loved to bake. Some of the cookbooks she purchased still reside in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. This classic white cake was a featured menu item at many of her luncheons and parties. Also, see where you can order JFK’s wedding cake and what other First Ladies liked to eat.
Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Cake
This recipe is based on Janice Cooke Newman’s adaption of a recipe from Lincoln’s Table by Donna D. McCreary.
1 cup blanched almonds (finely processed to a coarse meal)
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk
6 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar
Initial Thoughts
After gathering all of the ingredients, all I saw was a sea of white—sugar, flour and baking powder. Don’t fret, though. The lack of colorful ingredients was not a foreshadowing to the taste or look of the finished product. It was a delight—trust me.
The Batter
Preheat the oven to 350º, and then thoroughly grease and flour your favorite Bundt pan. You really don’t want the cake to stick, so make sure to follow these helpful tips.
Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Separately sift together the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt. (Here’s what to do if you don’t have a sifter.) Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the milk and dry ingredients to the creamed sugar and butter. Once fully incorporated, mix in the almonds.
Clean your whisk attachment and whip the egg whites until just firm. Gently fold the whipped whites and vanilla extract into the batter until dispersed evenly.
The Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for one hour (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Once baking is complete, place the pan on a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn the cake out onto the wire rack to finish cooling.
Sift powdered sugar over the cake to make a pretty dusting before serving.
The Outcome
This easy recipe—made with pantry staples—is an instant classic in any home. Dense, moist and subtly sweet, this white cake is wonderful on its own. It also pairs well with ice cream, fresh fruit or a steaming cup of coffee. Bookmark this recipe for your next book club meeting, afternoon tea with your mom or any time you need a comforting sweet.
Thank you, Mary Todd Lincoln! We’re happy you were able to pass this bakery recipe on to the rest of us. Our sweet tooths are forever in your debt.
A pleasingly moist cake, this treat is the one I requested that my mom make each year for my birthday. It's dotted with sweet carrots and a hint of cinnamon. The fluffy buttery frosting is scrumptious with chopped walnuts stirred in. One piece of this carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is never enough—it's better than all the other carrot cakes I've tried! —Kim Orr, West Grove, Pennsylvania
Go to RecipePsst!These are the secret ingredients Grandma used to make her cake taste so great.
It's just not Christmas at our house until this festive cake appears. This is different from other red velvet cake recipes I’ve had; the icing is as light as snow. —Kathryn Davison, Charlotte, North Carolina
Are your baked goods more than just good? We’ll gladly take a bite out of your best. Our recipe boxes are ready for your luscious tiramisu crepe cake, crispy gingerbread pizzelles, vibrant matcha cheesecake, dreamy Orangesicle-inspired macarons and so much more. So send us your favorite cakes and cookies, fresh from the oven (or icebox or stovetop), with fewer than 12 ingredients, and you could win big and be featured in Taste of Home.
Enter the Contest
This pineapple upside-down cake is a classic recipe that never goes out of style! It’s delicious with the traditional pineapple, but try it with peaches or a combination of cranberries and orange. —Bernardine Melton, Paola, Kansas. Love upside-down cakes? Be sure to check our favorite cranberry duff.
This impressive hummingbird cake is my dad’s favorite, so I always make it for his birthday. It makes a memorable dessert for any celebration and is lovely with a summer meal. —Nancy Zimmerman, Cape May Court House, New Jersey
I asked my mother-in-law for this recipe once I learned it's my husband's favorite. Now I bake it whenever he needs an extra-special treat. Spice cake topped with lemony sauce makes us both smile. —Kristen Oak, Pocatello, Idaho
As far as I know, this cake recipe can be traced back to my German great-grandma. When I got married, my mother gave me a copy and I hope to someday pass it down to my children. —Stephanie Travis, Fallon, Nevada
One of my mom's friends gave her this recipe when I was a child, and it has been a family favorite ever since. When your chocolate sweet tooth acts up, this really hits the spot! —Linda Yeamans, Ashland, Oregon
My grandmother gave me this 7UP pound cake recipe. On top of being delicious, this 7UP cake represents family tradition, connection and love. —Marsha Davis, Desert Hot Springs, California
We always called this Mama's never-fail recipe. I guess the same holds true for me since I've won contests with this lazy daisy cake. The tasty dessert always brings back fond memories of Mama. —Carrie Bartlett, Gallatin, Tennessee
I first made this cake for my fathers' birthday and now it is the only cake that he requests. This cake has complex flavors and is very unique. —Cleo Gonske, Redding, California
I just love this southern-style dessert, and so do dinner guests. With pecans, cherries and raisins in the filling and topping, this version reminds me of a fruitcake—only so much better! —Mabel Parvi, Ridgefield, Washington
My grandmother occasionally brought over this wonderful cake warm from the oven. The spicy apple flavor combined with the sweet cream cheese frosting made this recipe one that we treasured. Even though I've lightened it up, it's still a family favorite. —Lauris Conrad, Turlock, California
My grandmother made this for all our family gatherings. Everyone loves it now I make it for every party we attend or host. —John Morgan III, Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Here's the perfect dessert for chocoholics—like me! I bake this melt-in-your-mouth torte all the time for special occasions. For an elegant finish, dust it with confectioners' sugar. —Kayla Albrecht, Freeport, Illinois
As a mother of three sons, sweets are a staple in my kitchen! I buy ripe fruit on sale and freeze it to make this cake. My banana cake with cream cheese frosting is a favorite among loved ones at my family picnics and dinners. —Bonnie Krause, Irvona, Pennsylvania
I’d never tasted an Italian cream cake before moving to Colorado. Now I bake for people in the area, and this beauty is one of my most requested treats. —Ann Bush, Colorado City, Colorado
Tres leches means "three milks." This cake gets its name because it uses three kinds of milk—evaporated, condensed and cream. This tres leches cake's light and airy texture has made it a classic in Mexican kitchens for generations. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
For our daughter's wedding, a friend made this lovely, angel food cake from a recipe she's used for decades. It really is one of the best angel food cake recipes I've found. Serve slices plain or dress them up with fresh fruit. —Marilyn Niemeyer, Doon, Iowa
This light and fluffy marvel all but melts in your mouth. Back in the day, it took effort for my grandmother's kitchen helper to make it, but it's a breeze now that we have stand mixers. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia
Serve up some fun with this delicious cake that’s yummy any time of the year, but especially nice during the holiday season. No one will guess that cake mix simplifies the recipe. The traditional pumpkin and spices plus the delectable maple glaze give it a real from-scratch taste. —Barbara Elliott, Tyler, Texas
Toasted coconut adds visual appeal to this tall and impressive cake. With an airy texture and heavenly coconut-ginger flavor,it's a lovely end to meals throughout the year.
Years ago, I drove 4-1/2 hours to a cake contest, holding my entry on my lap the whole way. But it paid off. One bite and you'll see why this velvety beauty was named the best chocolate cake recipe and won first prize. —Sandra Johnson, Tioga, Pennsylvania
This picnic-perfect cake travels and slices very well. With chocolate chips, walnuts and raisins, it's a real crowd pleaser. —Marian Platt, Sequim, Washington
I promise this jeweled fruitcake is simply fantastic. Even my friends and family members who don’t normally care for fruitcake say they love it! —Sharon Hoffman, Donna, Texas
I first tried tres leches cake while in Ecuador several years ago. Since then, I’ve changed it up by adding some of my favorite ingredients, namely chocolate and coconut. This version also has a splash of rum for an adults-only treat. —Lisa Varner, El Paso, Texas
I like that this gingerbread delight is so deeply flavored and delicious. Served warm from the oven, a nice scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is definitely the icing on this cake. —Raymonde Bourgeois, Swastika, Ontario
Now that I've retired from teaching, I have more time to bake. This buttermilk pound cake is the one I make most often. It is a truly southern recipe, and one I think can't be topped—once people taste it, they won't go back to their other recipes with buttermilk. —Gracie Hanchey, De Ridder, Louisiana
My recipe makes two loaf-sized treats, perfect for sharing. The spiced rum flavor really comes through in both the cake and the glaze. —Christine Russell, Littleton, New Hampshire
Half Chilean, half Irish descent and all joie de vivre, I'm a food writer/photographer who loves to share stories about different cultures and the magic that is sharing a meal together. When not doing that, you'll find me working on my culinary degree, hanging with family & friends, and just trying to "live deep and suck out all the marrow of life." Salud!