Recipe written in Frank Morse’s journal. The journal’s content dates to around 1912. FWWM archives.
Franklin Morse in his police uniform. FWWM archives.
The staff continues to look to the Museum’s archives for baking inspiration. Out of Franklin Boardman Morse’s circa 1912 journal, we’ve identified another recipe for testing: his chocolate potato cake.
Frank Morse was born in Whitehall, New York, on July 11, 1845. His family moved to Ohio and then Iowa, where at age 17, he enlisted in the 18th Iowa Infantry at the outset of the Civil War.
After the war, he returned to Iowa. In 1868 he crossed the plains with a mule team bound for the Willamette Valley. They stopped in Walla Walla, and here Morse stayed. He worked as a constable, county horticulturist, and city police officer. In the Museum’s collection are several journals kept by Morse between 1894-1918. They contain newspaper clippings and written information about agricultural and horticultural practices, sensational crimes, cell blocks at the prison, and recipes. The journal with recipes dates to around 1912. The Museum staff was interested in testing a few of Morse’s favorite cakes at home.
Ingredients for the potato cake.
The recipe for this potato cake is listed as
2/3 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup grated chocolate
4 eggs beaten separately
Potato was a popular addition to cakes during World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II due to shortages of butter and flour. The potato adds both substance and moisture to the cake without imparting any potato flavor. After reviewing some similar recipes, we preheated the oven to 350°F, melted the grated chocolate, separated the eggs, and beat the whites until fluffy.
In Frank Morse’s words, this cake is “good!”
The result was a rich chocolate cake. Frank Morse’s assessment was correct: it is, in fact, good. In the bundt pan, the cake was baked in about 50 minutes. Notes: Whip egg whites until fluffy to add volume to the cake or it may be dense. It’s great with vanilla ice cream on the side.