Vintage recipe calls for yeast cakes

[vineyridge]

This was found often in my grandmother's cookbook. What would a 1930's yeast cake equal today?

 

[retired baker]

probably 1 oz.
if using cake yeast use ice cold liquids.
if using dry yeast use warm liquid.
if the recipe calls for 1 oz cake yeast use 1/2 oz of dry yeast.

 

[juan witmore]

Yeast cakes from the 1930s often had a rich, moist texture and were made with basic ingredients like flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and, of course, yeast. Today, you can find many similar recipes that might even offer a modern twist.

To make a 1930s-style yeast cake today, you can look for recipes labeled as "sweet yeast bread" or "yeast coffee cake." You might also want to adjust for ingredient availability and dietary preferences—like using less sugar or substituting whole grain flour. If you have the original recipe, I’d love to help you modernize it! Otherwise, starting with a classic sweet yeast bread recipe can get you pretty close. Happy baking!