Colonial Queen Cakes

These small, elegant tea cakes were enjoyed in Virginia homes during Colonial times. Popular long before baking soda and baking powder debuted in the kitchens of the mid-nineteenth century, queen cakes depend on well-beaten eggs to make them rise, just as pound cakes do. Their texture is dense, closer to a delicate corn bread than to today’s muffins and cupcakes. This recipe comes from my daughter’s bookshelf. It was reproduced in Felicity’s Cookbook, edited by Polly Athan