NATIONAL SPONGE CAKE DAY

August 22, 2026August 19, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 3 Comments

On August 23rd, enjoy National Sponge Cake Day with the quintessential classic of the cake world. This airy queen of teas is the guest of honor, but we get the pleasure of tasting!

One of the trickiest cakes for bakers to master, a perfect sponge stands tall. Another balancing trick for bakers includes maintaining a fine crumb while keeping the cake moist. If you enjoy layering berries and whipped cream, the sponge handles this task beautifully.

The sponge cake is believed to be one of the first non-yeasted cakes.

The sponge cake is thought to have originated in the Caribbean. However, the earliest English printed recipe for sponge cake comes from an English poet and author, Gervase Markham. In 1615 he published a sponge cake recipe in the book The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman.

I can’t knit or make plum jam, but I can bake a bloody Victoria sponge. ~ Helen Mirren as Chris in Calendar Girls (2003)

In 2003, the sponge cake played a tiny role in the movie Calendar Girls starring Helen Mirren. In the scene, Mirren’s character, Chris, enters a baking competition. However, she forgets she entered, and instead of entering a sponge cake of her own making, she submits a store-bought Victoria sponge cake.

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Get some sponge cake and enjoy it. Or, if you are up to the challenge, try this Glorious Sponge Cake recipe. Serve it with berries or a preserve. Use #SpongeCakeDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE DAY

May 18, 2026May 6, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 2 Comments

Observed annually on May 19, National Devil’s Food Cake Day is enjoyed by chocolate cake lovers throughout the country and around the world.

Devil’s Food cake is a heavenly chocolate cake. It differs from a regular chocolate cake by its darker color and tends to be more moist and airy. Devil’s Food cake recipes use hot or boiling water as the primary liquid. Cocoa is typically utilized in the batter, as opposed to chocolate, and coffee can be added for a distinctive flavor. A delicious chocolate frosting usually accompanies the cake.

Recipes for Devil’s Food cakes often appeared alongside recipes for Angel Food cakes. One of the earliest recipes appeared in the August 10, 1898, edition of the Hagerstown Exponent of Hagerstown, Indiana.

The once Queen of France said, “Let them eat cake“, I cant think of a better idea in today’s world.

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Mix up this irresistible Devil’s Food Cake I recipe. Use #DevilsFoodCakeDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY

January 26, 2026January 2, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 6 Comments

National Chocolate Cake Day celebrates the cake more people favor. And more often than not, we celebrate our special occasions like anniversaries, birthdays and weddings with cake. Why not enjoy chocolate cake on January 27th every year?

In America, chocolate was consumed primarily as a beverage until the 1830s or 40s. Chocolate cakes, as we think of them today, mostly did not exist then. According to the Dover Post, the chocolate cake was born in 1765 when a doctor and a chocolate maker teamed up in an old mill. They ground up cocoa beans between huge millstones to make a thick syrup. The liquid was poured into molds shaped like cakes, which were meant to be transformed into a beverage.

A popular Philadelphia cookbook author, Eliza Leslie, published the earliest chocolate cake recipe in 1847 in The Lady’s Receipt Book. Unlike chocolate cakes we know today, this recipe used chopped chocolate. Other cooks of the time such as Sarah Tyson Rorer and Maria Parloa all made contributions to the development of the chocolate cake and were prolific authors of cookbooks.

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The first boxed cake mix was created by a company called O. Duff and Sons in the late 1920s. Betty Crocker released their first dry cake mixes in 1947.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #ChocolateCakeDay

Obviously enjoy Chocolate Cake. Make your own or visit your favorite bakery. Share with family and friends. Use #ChocolateCakeDay to post on social media.

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NATIONAL SHORTBREAD DAY

January 5, 2026January 2, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 5 Comments

National Shortbread Day on January 6th recognizes a classic Scottish treat enjoyed around the world.

Shortbread is a traditional Scottish dessert typically made with:

1 part white sugar
2 parts butter
3 parts flour

Modern recipes deviate from the 3 ingredient rule by splitting the sugar portion into equal parts of granulated sugar and powdered sugar and adding salt. Bakers commonly use plain white (wheat) flour to make shortbread. However, some bakers use ground rice or cornflour to alter the texture.

Shortbread earns its name because of its crumbly texture. Its high-fat content provided by the butter results in a shortbread crumb. “Shortening” refers to any fat that may be added to produce a “short” (crumbly) texture.

Prepared often during the 12th century, Mary, Queen of Scots receives credit for the innovation of the shortbread during the 16th century. As it was expensive to make, the sweet cookie was reserved as a luxury for special occasions.

In Shetland (northeast of mainland Britain), they traditionally break a decorated shortbread cake over the head of a new bride upon the entrance of her new home.

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Shortbread cookies and bars call for sharing. Invite a friend over for tea and enjoy these delicately flavored treats while catching up. Share them with co-workers or invite nieces and nephews to help you bake up a new recipe. Be sure to share your celebration, too! Use #NationalShortbreadDay to post on social media.

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NATIONAL BROWNIE DAY

December 7, 2025November 14, 2025Jensperspectiveblog Leave a comment

Each year on December 8th, brownie lovers across the nation enjoy one of their favorite baked goods on National Brownie Day.

In the United States, the chocolate brownie is a favorite, with the blonde brownie running a close second. A blonde brownie is made with brown sugar and no chocolate and is often called a blondie.

The earliest recipes for brownies we are familiar with today are found published in regional cookbooks and newspapers around the turn of the last century. The 1904 Laconia, NH Home Cookery, the 1904 Chicago, IL Service Club Cook Book, and an April 2, 1905, edition of The Boston Globe are three early examples. In 1906, Fannie Merritt Farmer published a recipe in an edition of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book.

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Three myths have gained popularity over the years regarding the creation of the brownie:

In an accidental mixing of ingredients, a chef added melted chocolate to biscuit dough.
A forgetful cook left out the flour when mixing the batter.
When a housewife did not have baking powder, she improvised to create this new treat. The wife decided to serve her guest flattened cakes.

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Enjoy some fudgy, warm brownies. Be sure to invite friends and family to enjoy them with you, too! Pour a glass of milk and maybe add a scoop of ice cream. Share your recipes and celebrations by using #NationalBrownieday on social media.

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