Bradford Grammar School, c.1933 & the Lady Mayoresses of Bradford

[sarah]

Thanks Barbara for your speedy reply and pleased to find that you still have the book. First Page for Mrs Abram Peel's Cake mixture too - will send you a PM

Regards

Sarah

[LouieP]

I am late being involved in this topic as I have only just seen the page and registered on the site. My mum had a copy of this old book - Bradford Grammar School recipes, hints, etc. No idea where it is now though, sadly.
I have been looking for Mum's own recipe of Jordan cake - which she and my grandma used to bake and it was a real favourite plain cake, but I can't find it. I think there may be a recipe for it in the above mentioned book. Does anyone know or has anyone got an authentic Jordan cake recipe please? I recall it had a speckled sort of top once baked. We lived in Baildon, near Shipley, way back then and I think Jordan cake could be an old West Riding recipe. I would like to bake it again.
Thank you all!

[bykerlads]

Have never heard of Jordan cake, though in my area  of West Yorks - Holmfirth, a plain cake was called a Robin cake. Recipe very much like the sandwich cake in the book in question.
I wonder if most families and neighbourhoods had some kind of invented name to grace an otherwise plain cake? My mums robin cake was always delicious, rather moist and satisfyingly heavy!
I recall reading that Robin might come from t he fact that to make it you just had to take/ pinch/ rob a few simple ingredients from the larder?
( we also had Cow - pronounced " cayer" pie "pah" - In fact custard pie with nutmeg grated on top - yum!)

[Barbara.H]

Hi, I've just had a look in the old book and there is no cake by that name listed. Although there are lots of cakes of course - among the more unusual names are Bachelor Cake, Buffalo Cake (contains no buffaloes, but does use lard which could be where the name comes from), Eight Seven Six Cake, Lanehead Cake (an old Quaker recipe).

There's this recipe from 'The Toronto Cookbook' (1915) on the Internet Archive:

"Jordan Cake
Beat up two eggs, add one and one-half cups sugar, a pinch
of salt, two cups of flour, two teaspoons of baking powder and a
little milk. This can be made without butter; if added, only
put a piece the size of half an egg. Cook in a moderate oven."
https://archive.org/stream/torontocookbook00powe/torontocookbook00powe_djvu.txt

  Barbara

[LouieP]

Thank you very much Barbara! This is a similar recipe to Feather Cake, as was baked my mum and grandma, and me too as I've just baked some today. Feather Cake has a reasonable amount of fat though compared to the Jordan Cake recipe shown. I will be trying it out!

Best wishes and thanks again.

[bykerlads]

I do love the way plain cakes like these were given names, as they had no defining characteristics such as chocolate cake or walnut cake etc, names seem to have been plucked out of the air.
In many households the plain cake would have been the everyday norm, maybe sandwiched together with a bit of jam if you were lucky.
Personally, I love that eggy, vanilla, slightly over-moist flavour...

[loftywriter]

Hello Barbara
Do you have an image of Madam Veroni's ad? I'm recreating someone of the same name (or Madame Vernone) who appeared at the Piece Hall, Ha;ifax in 1864 with her daughter Mmselle Verone - these two were likely to be American.

I'm a Bradford lass, so the fact that your Mm Veroni had a place here really appeals to me.

It would be great to mock up an ad for my booth on 30 Nov/1st Dec

[Barbara.H]

Hi Loftywriter, I'm really sorry but I don't have the book any more, I had a bit of a clearout a while ago 

Just out of interest, I did a bit of a search after reading your post: Madam Veroni's real name was Betty Vernon, born 1887. She lived at 3 Drewton St in Bradford. There is a death registered in Bradford in 1942, for a Betty Vernon aged 55, so that could well be her.

Sorry not to be more help
  Barbara