Gold & Silver Cake

Gold and silver cake seem like complementary recipes. At least, it's more convenient to make them together since gold cake uses only egg yolks while white cake uses only the whites. Egg yolks give gold cake it's "golden", or yellow color, and the egg whites keep the silver cake "white". Today we would use the terms yellow or white cake.

There is no specific holiday tradition associated with either gold or silver cake. They were both common desserts of the period, and very popular, which is why they were often included with Christmas dinners

Both of these recipes come from The Historic American Cookbook Project, of which there are many different ones to choose from.

Gold Cake

1/4 cup butter	6 egg yolks
1 cup powdered sugar	3/4 cup milk
2 cups flour	grated peel of one orange
1 1/2 tsp baking powder	(plus the juice)

Cream butter and powdered sugar together. Add the egg yolks and stir until light.
Add the grated orange peel and juice.

Sift together flour and baking powder then add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating until smooth.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Silver Cake

1 cup butter	6 egg whites
2 cups sugar	1 cup milk
3 cups sifted flour	1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

Cream butter and sugar together, then add milk and egg whites.

Sift together flour, baking soda and cream of tartar and add to mixture.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.