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The recipe spotlighted in this episode dates back to 1796, credited to Amelia Simmons’ "American Cookery." This fundamental cookbook is said to contain the first published recipe for Election Cake, a massive dessert requiring ten pounds of butter, fourteen pounds of sugar, and several dozen eggs, alongside other rich ingredients. The sheer size of the cake was intended to cater to large gatherings typical of Election Day festivities.
As the host humorously notes, even halving the ingredients yields a cake substantial enough to mark an occasion, albeit one not meant to serve an entire town.