Head of State Cakes

Franklin Pierce was known as Handsome Frank. This is the kind of thing that can make a certain type of person, you know the type to dedicate a part of her life to developing president-themed cupcakes, lose hours to the internet looking for a picture of him she found handsome. Beauty, folks, is in the eye of the beholder. If those lists of the “most handsome presidents” don’t bring that point home, I don’t know what will.

Poor Franklin Pierce. He had some serious sad times in his life. The one that stands out above all others, though is that just before he became president, he and his wife were on a train with their last surviving child, and due to a freak accident, the child was killed right in front of them. How do you come back from that? Some say that Pierce never did.

Pierce was from New Hampshire. Despite this, during the increasing contentious era leading up to the Civil War, he had southern sympathies. In this time, this made him a doughface.

The cake:

The doughface thing was just too good to pass up in developing a cupcake. Originally I wanted to do a north meets south cupcake. As a result, the cupcake is poundcake and it is drizzled with sweet potato pie filling. This was a nod to the south. The frosting turned out to be vanilla buttercream with a touch of ginger. However, I forgot all about the north in making this cupcake! The frosting was supposed to be maple flavored. Like his presidency, his cupcake didn’t quite turn out as planned. The black sugar sprinkles are an illusion to the grief that consumed him when his last son was killed.

It seems like a bit of a cop-out not to come up with a more creative name for Millard Fillmore’s cupcake, but, in a way, it also seems quite appropriate. While President Fillmore wasn’t without nickname, he was nicknamed The American Louis Philippe, his nickname is as forgettable as his tenure in office.

He is not the only president for whom this is true. This is no quick swipe at President Fillmore. He happened to be both an “accidental president” and one of the unfortunate chief executives to hold the office in the unsettled times leading up to the Civil War. However Millard Fillmore was the one to send Commodore Matthew Perry to Japan in order to establish trade with the Japanese. He was also president when folks began heading west to seek their fortune in gold. These are the bits that inspired his cupcake.

The cake:

Because his work led to trade relations with Japan, it seemed that green tea made a fine flavor for this cake. There is also a dollop of strawberry jam between the cupcake and the white chocolate buttercream frosting. These elements were chosen because of their ability to complement the green tea flavored cake. Finally, gold accents were added to the top of the cupcake, a nod to the beginning of the California Gold Rush era.

Zachary Taylor has the hottest of all presidential nicknames. Seriously. Old Rough and Ready. That name alone is reason enough to go along with his agenda.

Okay, that’s out of the way.

Lest you think that I am the singular person who, despite a deep love for the presidents, often thinks of them in shallow terms, let’s unpack that sexy nickname of his a bit more. Zachary Taylor earned the nickname during his military career. He had gained quite the reputation as a soldier. He had survived multiple battles in the Indian wars and the Mexican wars. Like Andrew Jackson before him, this war-born popularity helped clear the way to the White House. This wasn’t a case of people feeling that he, Zachary Taylor, was the man cut out for the job and destined to lead.

Unfortunately for him (and the next few presidents following him), sectional strife plagued his presidency, and the skills that served him in times of war did not help him steer the country away from the tensions that would eventually lead to the Civil War.

The Cake:

It seems that for a warrior like President Taylor, it makes sense to focus on the flavors that might bring a man comfort in times of war: coffee and whiskey.

Here the cake is coffee flavored and the frosting is brown sugar and whiskey flavored. The cupcake is topped with whiskey caramel sauce.

The flavor of this cupcake was a winner. However, there were some texture problems that I would fix if I were to make this cupcake again. But if there is a president who could handle less than perfect circumstances, Old Rough and Ready is the one.

James K. Polk is sometimes thought of as the last strong president until Abraham Lincoln. Other times he is called the first “dark horse” president. While he was watching election-related things unfold, he realized that the presidential candidates, Martin Van Buren and Henry Clay were avoiding the highly contentious issue of expansionism. Polk brought the issue into the ring, declaring himself in favor of expansionism and became the Democratic candidate for the office. Some of this expansion had very much to do with the United States’ southern neighbor, Mexico. The rest had to do with Great Britain. Since it was under the Polk presidency that the United States gained most of what is now known as the southwest, I decided to play with the idea of Mexico for Polk’s cupcake.

The cake:

10 presidents into this project, and we haven’t yet had a chocolate cupcake. With James K. Polk it’s time to fix that. The cupcake name gives the perfect excuse to incorporate chocolate. To bring Mexico into the equation, I decided to add cinnamon to the cupcake, a nod toward Mexican chocolate. Also, I decided to add some spice in the way of cayenne. After all, to expand into someone else’s territory is pretty spicy. The cupcake is topped with cinnamon buttercream, and garnished with four mini chocolate chips, a reference to Polk setting four clearly-defined goals for his presidency. Overall, I would call this cupcake a success. This was one of the batches that I had to give away in quick order. Otherwise, too many of them would have resulted in thigh expansion for me. That’s no Manifest Destiny.

When John Tyler ran for Vice President with William Henry Harrison, they were dubbed the fertility ticket. These dudes knew how to breed. That’s all I’m saying about that. Seriously. Let’s not get bogged down in mental images here.

When they ran, these guys had 25 children between them. I’m sorry, I should have warned you. Now you’ve gone and spilled your coffee. Yes, 25 children. That is over 18 years of pregnant wife.

John Tyler had two wives. Not at the same time, of course. Because of the fertility ticket thing, I always joke that he wore his first wife out. Then he had to get another one.

If you think that’s crude, you should know that Washington was not nice to him about his second wife. We’ve never been very nice about May-December relationships.

Washington was never very nice to President John Tyler. He was the first vice president to become president after a president died. He took decisive steps during this transition claiming the presidency as his own. His decisions here, as well as his decision to make decisions against the standard line of the party which had elected him, made him a target of many. Derogatorily, he was dubbed “His Accidency,” as he was never elected to/intended for the White House. Of note, John Tyler was the only former US president to have joined the Confederacy.

The Cake:
I knew that I wanted to focus on Tyler’s May-December marriage. So, I decided to mix springtime flavors with wintry flavors. As spring settles upon us, the only thing I can think about is rhubarb. So, I knew that rhubarb would be a part of Tyler’s cupcake. Citrus is something that usually makes me think of the winter months, so that seemed like something to play with. Ultimately, the cake is touched with lime juice and studded with rhubarb and strawberries. The frosting is white chocolate buttercream with lime zest.

These cupcakes were a super success. My son, who can take cupcakes or leave them loved this one. I believe that he was about to shake me down for the recipe.

When William Henry Harrison and John Tyler ran for office, they were nicknamed the fertility ticket. Between the two of them, they had 25 children. Each and every time I think about that, I feel all of my internal organs quiver in fear upon even considering what it would be like to birth as many children as either (well, any–John Tyler married twice) of their wives did.

There are so many little things to remember about this whole Harrison-Tyler thing, if you’re so inclined to think about these sorts of things. “Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too,” was one of their campaign slogans. Like many before, and many after him, Harrison’s military performance gave him political cachet. In this case General Harrison led the battle against the Shawnee at the Battle of Tippecanoe.

William Henry Harrison was old when he ran for office. At his inauguration, he was 68 years old. This was 68 years old in 1840, which is a little different than being 68 years old today. In fact, opponents, in reference to his age suggested that he be given a barrel of hard cider and a pension to ease him into a quiet retirement (at his log cabin).

His party, the Whigs, took advantage of this quip and turned this into a part of the campaign. They represented William Henry Harrison as the log cabin candidate, convincing folks that, unlike Van Buren, he was a common man of humble origins. However, this wasn’t the case. Harrison was the well-born of the two, and Van Buren is who had come from a poor background. It’s interesting that the first president to actively campaign for the office, introduced elements that stay with us now. Hey, here’s a relatable story! Hey, here is how the candidate is just like you! Hey, here is how he’s different from the other guy!

Though his campaign was successful, tragedy followed for President Harrison. After delivering a long inaugural speech in the cold with no outerwear (he wanted to look like a vigorous man who could handle the elements), he fell ill. His illness developed into the pneumonia that would kill him on his 32nd day in the job.

This also gave us the practice of the Vice President becoming president in the event that the president dies. The Cake: During the Log Cabin and Hard Cider campaign, these candidates essentially threw parties. There were songs! The hard cider flowed as did whiskey. These are the flavors that I called upon for this cake. The cupcake is apple-flavored, using apple butter. There is a bit of whiskey in the cake as well. The cupcake is filled with an apple whipped cream and a small bit of apple butter. Finally, it is topped with whiskey buttercream frosting.

His muttonchops!

Okay, now that we have that out of the way.

Martin Van Buren was a man of many nicknames. Old Kinderhook is one of them, based on his home, Kinderhook, New York. While this is up for debate, some believe that Martin Van Buren gave us the word, “okay.” As in O.K. As in this is what he would sign when he was giving the green light on something. The Oxford English Dictionary, however, does not agree with this story. It doesn’t stop me from wanting to believe it, and for stating this as fact at parties.

Martin Van Buren was also known as the Little Magician. This was in reference to his small stature, and also to his political prowess, his ability to make political magic. Similarly, he was known as the Red Fox of Kinderhook. While being called a silver fox is a compliment, the red fox was not. It seems that the red part was in reference to his hair color, and the fox part…well, we’ve all read enough children’s stories to know that the fox, while crafty, is usually not the good guy in the story.

Martin Van Ruin is another name attached to him. The Panic of 1837 happened shortly after he took office. Such things never help a guy’s reputation. It also didn’t help that Martin Van Buren was perceived as being a bit fancy. The public mocked his wardrobe and the way that he furnished the White House.

Aside from being a man of many nicknames with high fashion ideals who allegedly wore a corset, Martin Van Buren was our first “ethnic” president. That ethnic is in quotes because we’re all ethnic. I digress. He was Dutch, we’re talking speak Dutch at home Dutch. Ironically, this first “ethnic” president was also the first president to be born a US Citizen. How very American. How appropriate a theme for his cupcake.

The Cake:

Because President Van Buren was the first “ethnic” president, I wanted to do something that played with this. I learned that Dutch is the language that gave us the word cookie, it comes from the Dutch word keokje which means “little cake.” What a perfect connection to one of our smaller presidents! When I followed this connection down the rabbit hole, I looked at numerous recipes for Dutch cookies. Here I noticed that much of what I was finding were very spicy recipes. I decided to frost this cupcake, then, with a spicy cream cheese frosting. For the cake, the inspiration came from a recipe for Dutch apple cake. I didn’t use the recipe as it was written, but it pointed me the in the right direction for an apple-flavored cupcake. Though Applejack was nowhere in the recipe, I did use it in the cupcake. Finally, a nod to his fancy ways, I threw a little gold sugar on top.

Andrew Jackson is one of those larger-than-life presidents. There are so many interesting details about him that it is difficult to choose a starting point. So, let’s just go all the way back to his beginning.

Andrew Jackson started his life under difficult circumstances. His father died before he was even born, leaving him with his mother and two brothers. All three of his remaining family members died by the time Jackson was a teenager. Perhaps this is what gave him the perspective and compassion to adopt three children and to be the legal guardian to numerous others.

Maybe this rough beginning created the perfect environment for a man to develop a fiery temper. Jackson’s temper was nothing to play with. He was known as a deuler.

He was also known as the Hero of New Orleans were also among his nicknames. He got the name Old Hickory because of his tough personality. The Hero of New Orleans comes from his work during the War of 1812.

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The Battle of New Orleans is what put Andrew Jackson on the national map. Without this, we may have never had a President Jackson. In the Battle of New Orleans, Jackson’s soldiers in battle against the British. Of their 5ooo men, the Americans suffered 71 casualties, a small fraction of the damage that the British faced.

Of the Battle of New Orleans, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that Jackson was, “…was raised to the Presidency, and has been maintained there, solely by the recollection of a victory which he gained, twenty years ago, under the walls of New Orleans.”

The Cake:

Because the Battle of New Orleans was so essential to Jackson’s political trajectory, I wanted to use some flavors associated with the region in his cupcake. It is topped with cream cheese frosting tinted and flavored by Peychaud’s bitters with a praline pecan garnish. The cupcake itself contains pecans. Not only are pecans grown in the Louisiana, but they are a species of hickory, perfect for Old Hickory.

John Quincy Adams is the son in the first US father-son presidential pair. (George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush are the other. Relatedly, William Henry Harrison was grandfather to Benjamin Harrison.) The younger Adams watched as his father performed founding-father duties. Actually, John Quincy Adams did more than watch. As a teenager he served as personal secretary and translator to the US diplomat Francis Dana.

Thanks to Steven Speilberg’s Amistad, many folks know that John Quincy Adams was a lawyer in the case before the Supreme Court, defending the mutinous/escaped “slaves” (these slaves were actually captured Africans) from the ship. In this case, Adams lived up to his name, Old Man Eloquent, successfully convincing the court to rule in favor of returning these people to Africa.

A diplomat’s son turned diplomat, Adams spent much of his life in service to the country. Thanks to his dedication to journaling, we know quite a bit about many elements of his service and his life. Coming from his family, he would understand the importance of recording his impressions for posterity. John Quincy Adams began his diary habit at age 12 and continued until just before his death.

Despite having attended countless catered events as the president’s son, as president and as a US Senator, we know little about what John Quincy Adams ate, what he liked. Though he was a voracious recorder of events, he wrote virtually nothing about what he ate.

We do know, however, that he liked fresh fruit. This is how I knew that fruit would be a part of his cupcake.

Because Adams served so many roles in service to the country, it seems arguable that his life was a variation on the theme of service. I wanted to play with that creating a cupcake that was a variation of a theme.

The cake:

The Old Man Eloquent cupcake is all about berries. The cupcake here is raspberry flavored. It is filled with blackberry flavored whipped cream. It is frosted with strawberry cream cheese frosting. Finally, it is garnished with a blueberry and a blueberry syrup drizzle.

If you had to take a standardized test style test, the right answer would be this: John Quincy Adams is to public service as the Old Man Eloquent cupcake is to berries.

James Monroe was the final founders-generation president. He was also the fourth Virginian to hold the nation’s highest office. Monroe is perhaps best known for the Monroe Doctrine. Back in 1823, Monroe made a speech where he said, “that the American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by European powers”. The Monroe Doctrine served as the backbone to the American isolationist sentiment that lasted for quite a long while.

James Monroe wasn’t an American who knew nothing of life abroad. Unlike his predecessor, he had traveled across the ocean. In fact, Monroe served as Washington’s minister to France. This was no easy assignment as the US’s relationship to France was doing a two steps forward, one step back dance. Eventually, James Monroe was, ahem, relieved from this assignment. However, he had learned an appreciation for french culture. This affinity for the various elements of French culture, in time, influenced people’s opinion of Monroe.

Monroe and his wife, Elizabeth, came to occupy the White House in 1817. The White House was still in need of repair and restoration from the White House Fire (from which Dolley Madison famously saved the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington). Monroe hoped to restore dignity and elegance to the presidents’ residence. To achieve this end, Monroe ordered many french furnishings for the executive mansion. Monroe was also the first president to have china created for presidential use. At the time, this china, French-made. was criticized because it was foreign. Later, Congress passed a law mandating that all White House furniture be made in the United States. Eight pieces of gilded European furniture purchased during the Monroe term currently furnish the Blue Room in the White House.

Considering this part of Monroe’s history, I knew that his cupcake would need to nod indulgently toward France. Because we associate France with wine, I knew the cupcake needed to feature it.

The cake:

Monroe’s cupcake is a rosé-flavored cake with strawberry whipped cream filling. The frosting is a mild white chocolate buttercream and drizzled with a rosé gel.

I loved the way that these flavors came together and was hard-pressed not to steal the cupcake that I had designated for my son. I also took these cupcakes to a fun party where they were well-received. I think President Monroe would have approved.

The Handsome

The Fillmore

The Rough and Ready

The Dark Horse

The Accidency

The Log Cabin

The Old Kinderhook

The Old Hickory

The Old Man Eloquent

The Good Feelings