Shrewsbury cake facts for kids
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Shrewsbury cake
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| Alternative names | Shrewsbury biscuit |
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| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | England |
| Region or state | Shrewsbury, Shropshire |
| Main ingredients | Sugar, flour, egg, butter, and lemon zest |
A Shrewsbury cake (also called a Shrewsbury biscuit) is a yummy English treat. It gets its name from Shrewsbury, a town in Shropshire, England. These cakes are made with simple ingredients. They include sugar, flour, eggs, butter, and lemon zest. Sometimes, people even add dried fruit to them! Shrewsbury cakes can be small, like cookies. Or they can be larger, like a dessert all by themselves.
The Story of Shrewsbury Cakes
The first time we know about Shrewsbury cakes being written down was in 1602. These early cakes were very delicate. They are not made the same way today.
A famous writer named William Congreve mentioned Shrewsbury cakes. He wrote about them in his play The Way of the World in 1700. He used them to describe someone being "short."
Old Recipes for Shrewsbury Cakes
The recipe for Shrewsbury cakes is found in many old cookbooks. One famous book is The Compleat Cook of 1658. This book gave instructions on how to make them. It talked about using flour, butter, eggs, ginger, and sugar. It also said to roll them out and bake them.
A baker from Shrewsbury, Thomas Plimmer, said he found the original recipe. He got it from James Palin. James Palin sold these cakes from his bakeshop in Shrewsbury.
Shrewsbury cake recipes also traveled to America. In the 1800s, American recipes used a method called creaming. This is where butter and sugar are mixed together first. Then, eggs, rosewater, flour, and nutmeg are added. This is a common way to make butter cakes.
Shrewsbury Cakes Around the World
Today, Shrewsbury biscuits are very popular in India. They are made in the city of Pune, Maharashtra.
In New Zealand, there is also a popular biscuit called a Shrewsbury biscuit. However, this biscuit is different. It is more like a Jammie Dodger from the UK. It does not seem to be related to the original English Shrewsbury cake.
