Great-Grandmother's Apple Cake Recipe

Words & Photography
by Melanie Lionello



My Great-grandmother’s apple cake. I found this recipe in her handwritten notes included in her recipe book which was printed in 1895. It cost a shilling, which in today’s money is around $8, and was printed by Angus & Robertson on Castlereagh St. in Sydney - quite a well-known book shop here in Australia.

The cooking instructions simply said to "bake in a moderate oven until ready". This makes me laugh a little because nowadays recipes are so specific and must be to-the-minute accurate.

The cooking instructions simply said to "bake in a moderate oven until ready". This makes me laugh a little because nowadays recipes are so specific and must be to-the-minute accurate. That skill of just knowing when something is ready and how exactly to cook it is pretty rare, and something that I’ve always tried to learn how to do from my grandparents and parents.

Do you have any old family recipes like this? Or do you write recipes like this, with just a few simple and basic instructions? My notebook is full of them, and then I eventually translate them into proper, concise and measured recipes so you guys can make them too.