Making the Lincolns' FAVE Dessert | Ancient Recipes With Sohla | History

With Presidents Day right around the corner, Sohla is making the dish that kept Abe Lincoln coming back for more - Mary Todd Lincoln's White Almond Cake, in this episode of Ancient Recipes. Chapters 00:00 Lincoln’s Favorite Dessert & Mary Todd’s White Almond Cake 01:18 Lincoln’s Sweet Tooth And Lavish Inauguration Desserts 03:09 Grinding Almonds And French Origins Of The Cake 04:46 Creaming Butter And Sugar The Old Fashioned Way 07:33 The Chaotic Second Inauguration Dessert Buffet 10:08 Whipping Egg Whites By Hand For A Light Sponge 12:47 Combining Batter Folding Egg Whites And Almond Flour 19:38 Unmolding Dusting And Final Taste Test Verdict Watch Abraham Lincoln, a three-part documentary event premiering Sunday, February 20 at 8/7c on The History Channel. THE RECIPE Mary Todd Lincoln’s Almond Cake Recipe: 1 cup (226 grams) salted cultured butter, room temperature 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar, divided 1 cup (235 grams) whole milk, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 cup (142 grams) blanched almonds 6 large egg whites, room temperature Confectioners sugar 1. Heat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan 2. Cream the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy 3. Combine the milk with vanilla and almond extract. 4. Sift the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar 3 times. 5. Add to the creamed butter and sugar in three batches, alternating with the milk mixture. 6. Fold in the almond flour. 7. Beat the egg whites and remaining 1 cup sugar until stiff. Fold into the batter in three batches. 8. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean 9. Turn over on a wire rack to cool. Sift confectioners sugar over the top once cool #HISTORY #AncientRecipes Ancient Recipes with Sohla takes the food you know and love and traces it back to its origins. In each episode, Sohla El-Waylly details the surprising history of some of our favorite dishes as she attempts to recreate the original version using historical cooking techniques and ingredients. Along the way, Sohla highlights the differences between the ancient recipe and how we would prepare the modern version today. http://histv.co/ancientrecipes Follow Adam Richman as he travels the country and tries the most iconic and forgotten foods of the 1980s. Watch new episodes of Adam Eats the 80s Sundays at 10/9c on The History Channel. CREDITS Host Sohla El-Waylly Created By Brian Huffman Executive Producers Sarah Walker Brian Huffman Jon Erwin Executive Producer Sohla El-Waylly Co-Producer John Schlirf Writer Jon Erwin Historian - Scripts Ken Albala Post-Production Supervisors Jon Erwin John Schlirf Editor Jordan Podos Colorist John Schlirf Mixer Tim Wagner Manager, Rights & Clearances Chris Kim Executive Creative Director, A+E Networks Tim Nolan VP, Marketing Production, A+E Networks Kate Leonard VP, Brand Creative, History Matt Neary Music Courtesy of Extreme Music A+E Signature Tracks Additional Footage & Photos Courtesy of Getty Images Alamy Pond5 Wikimedia Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW:    / @history   ABOUT THE HISTORY CHANNEL: The HISTORY® Channel, a division of A+E Global Media, is the premier destination for historical storytelling. From best-in-class documentary events, to a signature slate of industry leading nonfiction series and premium fact-based scripted programming, The HISTORY® Channel serves as the most trustworthy source of informational entertainment in media. FOLLOW HISTORY CHANNEL: Watch Full Episodes: https://www.history.com/videos Sign Up For History Emails: https://www.history.com/emails/sign-up Browse Topical Videos: https://www.history.com/topics Facebook:   / history   Instagram:   / history   TikTok:   / history   X:   / history   YouTube:    / @history   Copyright Notice: This video and my YouTube channel contain dialog, music, and images that are property of The HISTORY® Channel. You are authorized to share the video link and channel, and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to our YouTube Channel is provided. © 2025 The HISTORY® Channel Making the Lincolns' FAVE Dessert | Ancient Recipes With Sohla | History    / @history