Today in American history…Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd in the parlor of her sister’s home in Lexington, Kentucky on November 4, 1842.

Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Almond Cake was a favorite of the Lincoln family. In my former bakery, we used to refer to as “the courtship cake” because Mrs Lincoln often made this during their courtship and I like to think it won his heart. The cake was often made for special family events. It is also documented as being on the dessert table at their home in Springfield, Illinois, for the celebration of President Lincoln being first elected to the Presidency.

I have read many books regarding the lives of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. What has always peaked my interest is how they came from such diverse backgrounds – Mary Lincoln was raised in privilege with servants in a large home in Lexington, Kentucky. She was well educated which wasn’t common for women in that time. Her family were close friends with Henry Clay and she was once courted by Stephen Douglas. Abraham Lincoln’s life was the complete opposite – born in a log cabin with a dirt floor in the wilderness. He had to be a self-learned person and educated himself through borrowing books from neighbors and friends. Eventually he would become a very popular lawyer and debater.

Her family was against the impending marriage and felt he was beneath her. President Lincoln was so unsure of the engagement that he actually called off the first engagement.

In the end, love conquers all and they reunited in the Fall of 1842 and decided to marry regardless of what the naysayers thought. At the wedding, President Lincoln gave Mrs Lincoln a wedding band inscribed with the words “Love is Eternal.”

The recipe that I used was from the book, Lincoln’s Table, by Donna D. McCreary and was adapted by Janice Cooke Newman.

Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Almond Cake

Ingredients

1 Cup blanched almonds, chopped in a food processor until they resemble a coarse flour

1 Cup butter

2 Cups sugar

3 Cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 Cup milk

6 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

confectionary sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.

Cream butter and sugar. Sift flour and baking powder 3 times. Add to creamed butter and sugar, alternating with milk. Stir in almonds and beat well.

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Stir in vanilla extract.

Pour into prepared pan and and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Turn out on a wire rack and cool. When cool, sift confectionary sugar over top.

A basic white frosting sprinkled with almonds was also popular.