‘Little House on the Prairie:’ Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Wedding Cake Recipe Calls for 10 Eggs and a Surprising Ingredient

As the best cook in Walnut Grove, it was only fitting that Ma Ingalls made her daughter’s wedding cake. Now, fans of the 21st century can recreate Laura and Manly’s iconic cake, thanks to a recipe from the Little House on the Prairie website.

Laura Ingalls married Almanzo ‘Manly’ Wilder in 1885

Fans saw Laura Ingalls grow up with this series, from dealing with the hardships of school and friends to the challenges of being a pioneer. Her older sister, Mary, lost her sight and her mother suffered from an infection in her leg. 

During a few episodes, fans met the newest addition to Walnut Grove — Almanzo Wilder, the brother of Eliza Jane, who was Laura Ingalls’ teacher. This character had a crush on “Manly” for several years before the two got together. 

Eventually, both during the Little House on the Prairie television series and in real life, these two married and had a child together. When it came to their wedding day, Ma was the mastermind behind their cake. 

Ma made Laura’s wedding cake

Laura Ingalls Wilder didn’t specifically reveal Ma’s recipe for the cake, but thanks to some excerpts, fans learned a little more about the ingredients that went into the dessert. Specifically, she wrote of Laura’s arm getting stiff from beating the egg whites. 

“That afternoon the finished black cashmere was carefully pressed, and then Ma made a big, white cake,” one quote from the novel stated. “Laura helped her by beating the egg whites on a platter with a fork until Ma said they were stiff enough.”

What is included in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s wedding cake?

There was only one cake made by Laura’s mother. However, there are a few different fan adaptations found online. The recipe from the official Little House on the Prairie website listed two variations of the cake, one with a blueberry topping and one “traditional.” 

For the cake itself, bakers will need a whopping 10 eggs, as well as sugar, butter, and flour. To make the cake more flavorful, the recipe calls for a few surprising extracts, including almond extract and lemon extract. 

In true Little House on the Prairie style, though, this recipe requires some arm strength to cream together the butter and the sugar. (They didn’t have mixers in the 1800s.) When it comes to the frosting the recipe calls for rose water and even more egg whites, four to be specific. 

Plenty of other desserts and meals inspired by the series and novel are available on this website, where fans can try to eat and cook just like the pioneers did. That includes everything from baked beans to homemade peppermint candy.

The Little House on the Prairie television series has since ended, but fans can watch episodes on several networks. Fans of this series and the novel find more recipes on the Little House on the Prairie website.