Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Recipe image for the Ryzon layer cake, found in the 1917 "Ryzon Baking Book: A Practical Manual for the Preparation of Food Requiring Baking Powder."
Baking powder recipe books educated the public on this new baking technique. Precision became protocol, and a new baking process emerged- one that relied on accurate measurements and consistent baking temperature.
Pure in the can - Pure in the Baking: The back cover of "Reliable Recipes," published by the Calamet Baking Powder Co., Chicago, 1906.
After researching and writing about the history of cocoa, I succeeded in baking my first-ever, truly authentic homemade chocolate cake. It was delightful and immediately increased my household reputation as a baker.
Baking can be a challenge for some, as there are so many variables and so little room for error. As my elders often reminded me, "To be a good baker, you have to be able to follow instructions."
I often wondered who wrote those instructions... just what kind of experts unlocked the code for baking?
When deciding on a recipe for the chocolate cake, I consulted two of the baking books at the Eddy County Museum. It didn't take long for me to notice that both books had been researched and published by baking powder manufacturers.
I have to say it made me curious, and before I knew it, I was researching the history of one special ingredient: baking powder.
It's a household staple. I bet you have some in your cupboard now. Without it, baking is a more intensive (and attentive) process, relying on either the microbial process of yeast or the chemical process of acids and salts (like vinegar and baking soda) to produce a lovely rise.
As it turns out, the origins of baking powder are actually quite sweet. In 1843, the British Chemist Alfred Bird developed the first modern version of baking powder by combining potassium bitartrate (cream of tartar) and baking soda.
His motivation was fueled by his wife Elizabeth's allergies to yeast and eggs. So Bird pioneered a new way of making quick breads, cakes, muffins and more, all for his love. While the formula was effective, it was not affordable and in 1856, chemist Eben Norton Horsford patented a new and improved baking powder.
Horsford's technique included extracting monocalcium phosphate from animal bones. But what made Horsford's formula truly remarkable was that it also included an acidic powder that when mixed with water, produced bubbles of carbon dioxide.
By 1896, Americans were consuming almost 120 million pounds of baking powder annually. Soon competitors had flooded the market with baking powders of varied ingredients and reliability.
In the end, after many corporate consolidations, it was the companies that offered customers a pure formula (and helpful instruction) that eventually rose to the top.
Both recipe books featured here belonged to Mrs. George (Anna) Brown, proprietor of Brown Hotel.
The Eddy County Museum is open to visitors on Sundays until Labor Day 1-4 p.m.
