Delicious Nut Cake

Old English Recipe, year 1600

Coffee cup is used for measure.

2 cups of sugar rolled fine or sifted
1 cup of butter—creamed together
3 cups of flour—sifted 4 times
1 cup of cold water
4 eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately
2 large cups of walnut chopped or rolled
2 teaspoons of cream of tartar—level measure

Cream butter and sugar, stir in yolks, beat hard for 5 minutes, add water, then flour, mix the tartar in it—then nuts, then beaten whites of eggs. Bake ¾ of an hour if loaf, or half hour if divided into two portions or layers.