Tottenham cake
Encyclopedia
Tottenham cake is a sponge cake
baked in large metal trays, covered either in pink icing or jam (and occasionally decorated with shredded desiccated coconut), and then cut and sold in squares. The mass-produced and cheap nature of the cake means it is usually made and sold commercially.
found growing at the Tottenham Friends burial ground.
Although therefore not directly linked to the football team, Ted Willis
recalls in his autobiography that, "In 1901 it was given away free to local children to celebrate the Spurs' first victory in the FA Cup
Final".
Willis describes the cake as being "a peculiar local invention" of north London, but the cake is now mass-produced by the Greggs
chain of bakers. The above-mentioned fansite also reports that the cakes are also still baked for Tottenham Friends meetings (still using mulberries).
Sponge cake
Sponge cake is a cake based on flour , sugar, and eggs, sometimes leavened with baking powder which has a firm, yet well aerated structure, similar to a sea sponge. A sponge cake may be produced by either the batter method, or the foam method. Typicially the batter method in the U.S. is known as a...
baked in large metal trays, covered either in pink icing or jam (and occasionally decorated with shredded desiccated coconut), and then cut and sold in squares. The mass-produced and cheap nature of the cake means it is usually made and sold commercially.
History
A Tottenham Hotspur fansite states that Tottenham Cake "was originally sold by the baker Henry Chalkley (who was a Friend or Quaker) at the price of 1 old penny, with smaller mis-shaped pieces sold for 1/2 an old penny", adding that the pink colouring was derived from mulberriesMulberry
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
found growing at the Tottenham Friends burial ground.
Although therefore not directly linked to the football team, Ted Willis
Ted Willis
Edward Henry Willis, Baron Willis , commonly known as Ted Willis, was a British television dramatist who was also politically active in support of the Labour Party.-Political life:...
recalls in his autobiography that, "In 1901 it was given away free to local children to celebrate the Spurs' first victory in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Final".
Willis describes the cake as being "a peculiar local invention" of north London, but the cake is now mass-produced by the Greggs
Greggs
Greggs plc is the largest specialist retail bakery chain in the United Kingdom. It was established in the 1930s as a single shop but has approximately 1,500 outlets....
chain of bakers. The above-mentioned fansite also reports that the cakes are also still baked for Tottenham Friends meetings (still using mulberries).