Lincoln’s Favorite Cake

Last updated on April 3rd, 2025

What was Abraham Lincoln’s Favorite Cake?

Lincoln’s Favorite Cake is a rich, white cake with egg whites and finely ground almonds, frosted with an old-fashioned creamy boiled white frosting, and topped with slivered almonds. This historical cake dates back to the mid-19th century and was commonly served in honor of Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12th.

It is sometimes called a ‘Mary Todd Lincoln Cake’ because she apparently baked a version of it for Mr. Lincoln while they were courting. To celebrate Presidents’ Day try Abraham Lincoln’s Favorite Cake or my Historic Washington Cake.

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• Butter: American butter is made from churned cream that contains 80% butterfat. European butter is churned longer and has a higher fat content (82%-85%), which is why it yields more flavor.
• Oil: Canola oil has a neutral and light flavor and is great for baked goods. Extra Light Olive Oil is another option. If your cake recipe calls for butter, you can substitute using all oil or if you still want to get flavor from butter use a combination of oil and butter together.
• sugar: Sugar is derived from sugarcane and provides sweetness to baked goods. The most common type being granulated white sugar. Cane sugar is a natural option that is less processed with a slightly courser texture.
• eggs: Eggs are important in baking because their protein provides structure, they are a natural leavener trapping air that expands during baking, and they add moisture to baked goods.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor and yields tender baked goods. When purchasing buttermilk, look for simple, natural ingredients such as “cultured milk”. If you don’t have any on-hand, Its simple to make your own: Place 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup and add cream or whole milk until it reaches the 1 c. measure line and let it sit for a few minutes.
• vanilla extract: Vanilla provides hints of caramel and spice, enhancing the depth of flavor to baked goods. Always use a high-quality, all-natural brand made from real vanilla beans containing at least 35% alcohol. MAKE YOUR OWN! Purchase Grade B vanilla beans (also called extract-grade), which have less moisture and a more concentrated flavor. Place 8 oz. of bourbon (or vodka) in glass bottle or jar. Split 5-7 vanilla beans down the middle and add to bottle. Let it sit for 3-6 months in a cool, dark place. As you use it, continue to replace the bourbon and add more beans as it keeps for many years.
• Almond Extract: All-natural almond extract is made from bitter almonds or pits of stone fruits (like apricots) soaked in alcohol. Avoid using artificial almond extract, as it tastes bitter and lacks the depth of natural almond flavor.

DRY INGREDIENTS

• Flour: Use all-purpose unbleached flour with 10-12% protein, such as King Arthur or Sir Galahad Artisan Flour (its bulk-purchased name) which has 11.7% protein. Avoid bread flour, as its higher protein content (11-14%), develops more gluten, which results in dense baked goods.
• Almond Flour: Superfine almond flour is made from blanched almonds and ground into a fine, powdery texture ideal for delicate baked goods like macarons and pastry.
• Almonds: Blanched almonds are ideal for baking because the skins have been removed, giving them a pale appearance and milder flavor compared to raw almonds with skins. For this recipe you can use ground blanched almonds, almond meal, or almond flour in the cake.
• ClearJel: I add Instant ClearJel to almost all of my baked goods to give them a light and tender texture. Use cornstarch as a substitution if ClearJel is hard to find. For every 1 T. of cornstarch, use 1 1/2 T. ClearJel. For every 2 T. flour or tapioca, use 1 T. ClearJel. You can find it online here.
• Baking soda: Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a leavening agent that, when combined with an acid (such as lemon juice, buttermilk, or vinegar) creates carbon dioxide gas, making baked goods rise during baking. If your recipe doesn’t include an acid, use baking powder, or a combination of both baking powder and baking soda for balanced leavening.
• Baking powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent that contains both an acid, like cream of tarter, and a base, like baking soda to help baked goods rise. Use a double-acting aluminum-free baking powder to avoid a bitter aftertaste.
• salt: Use a fine-ground pink salt which adds essential minerals and nutrients to baked goods.

FROSTING

• Superfine Sugar: Superfine sugar, also known as castor sugar, has a finer texture compared to granulated sugar. Its fine granules help yield tender baked goods by incorporating quickly with other ingredients. When making boiled frostings or candy, superfine sugar dissolves faster, reducing grittiness and creating a smoother texture.

Dietary Substitutions

For the past 12+ years, I have owned an all-natural specialty bakery converting conventional recipes to gluten free, vegan, wholesome, etc. Read more about it here.

TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE

Here are some tips for gluten free baking

• Be sure to let the batter rest to help eliminate grittiness. Even letting the batter sit 15 minutes will yield a light and tender baked good. You can let batter sit in the fridge overnight, and up to 3 days.
• Use a premium gluten-free flour blend.
• Add 1-2 tablespoons additional buttermilk to help hydrate the flour.
• Reduce the oven temperature by 25°, as gluten-free flour is delicate and could burn before the center is done.
• Gluten-free baked goods dry out quickly, so put them in a sealed container right away.

TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE

• Swap out the butter with unsalted vegan butter sticks.
• To replace the egg, place 1 tsp. of baking soda into your baked good and pour 1 T. white vinegar on top of the baking soda.
• Replace the dairy with unsweetened oat or almond milk.

Equipment

Recommended tools: (affiliate links)

• stand mixer
• whisk
• mixing bowl
• liquid measuring cup
• measuring cups and spoons
• Nordic Ware bundt pan (any classic style will work)

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Storage

Baked Cake: Cover in air-tight container and leave on counter up to 3 days. To freeze, cover in saran wrap and place in freezer-safe container up to 6 months. Thaw on counter in the container for 1/2 hour before opening up the container.

Unbaked Batter: Prepare batter and place in a sealed container up to 3-5 days in refrigerator.

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• Sour Cherry Almond Bread
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Homemade Apple Pie Spice
• Coconut Macaroon Cookies
• Lord Baltimore Cake

More vintage cakes:

Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out for you!

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