Episode 22: Fall Asleep to the Lost History of Angel Food Cake

This is Recipe for Sleep, a podcast where we dust off very old cookbooks and let them lull us into dreamland. I’m Erin Brindley, a chef and storyteller. Tonight, we’re returning to The American Pastry Cook, published in 1894, and finally, after two episodes worth of intro, we get to the meat of the book: the recipes.

Our author Jessup Whitehead does not lose his salt once the recipes begin. He peppers random history and color commentary throughout the cookbook, throwing all the 1800’s shade at women who bake cakes for their church fairs, and gossiping about the inventor of angel food cake. If someone were to ask what I love about making this podcast, I’ll tell them the angel food cake story. It’s towards the beginning, so hopefully you won’t fall asleep before, but if you do, I encourage you to pick it up where you left off tomorrow night.

Links:

• Erin’s Substack
• The original text for tonight’s episode