[Sca-cooks] Reasons why period cakes aren't modern cakes

[Johnna Holloway]

Part of the assumptions might lie in how one defines what a cake is.

If one thinks of a cake as being a yeast or ale barm raised bread enriched with spices or dried fruits or butter,
then there were cakes prior to 1700, 1650 and even 1600. Otherwise what is a cake, a biscuit, a shortcake, a cookie,
a great cake, fine cake, etc?

You might take a look at the book Cake which is part of the Edible Series.
http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/C/bo8919428.html

Johnnae