One Of Johnny Cash's Favorite Desserts Was This Old School Southern Treat Made By His Mother

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Behind Johnny Cash's "Man in Black" bad boy persona, he was a man of faith. The beloved singer-songwriter was raised in a devout Christian family in Arkansas and grew up with Southern culinary traditions. Among the dishes his mother made, one dessert stood out for its unique blend of Southern culture and religious heritage: scripture cake. Made with old-fashioned ingredients and tied to biblical references, it became one of Cash's favorite desserts.

The nostalgic cake you probably forgot existed appears to have roots in the American South and the Appalachian mountains. It would have been a common recipe in a Christian household in Arkansas. Recipes for the cake vary by region and household, but the dessert itself is basically a dense fruit cake packed with raisins, figs, spices, nuts, and butter. Instead of listing ingredients, bakers must interpret various bible verses to find out what they need.

The cookbook "Around the Opry Table," a collection of favorite recipes from country music legends, notes that scripture cake was one of Johnn'y favorites, and that the recipe was taken from his mother's book "Recipes and Memories from Mama Cash's Kitchen." It's easy to see why this would have been one of Johnny Cash's most beloved recipes — it's rustic, rich, and holds spiritual symbolism that aligned with his beliefs. 

Among other forgotten vintage cakes of the past, scripture cake (sometimes called Bible cake or Old Testament cake), is more than just a sweet treat. While the ingredients themselves are not so unique, how the recipe is written would be bewildering to many who were not raised Christian. Rather than listing ingredients directly, the earliest versions will reference a specific bible verse where the ingredient can be found. The King James Version of the Bible appears to be the most commonly cited.

For example, a recipe might list "1 cup Judges 5:25." That verse states, "He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish." Some ingredients and verses are more difficult to interpret, like "¼ cup raw Jeremiah 6:20". This verse states, "To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me." The key here is "sweet cane," which is referencing sugar.

Making a scripture cake is a scavenger hunt through the Bible that turns baking into a quick bible study. These cakes were often baked for church gatherings, Sunday schools, and family events, and provided a more engaging way for young people to learn scripture. Many modern-day recipes will clearly list each ingredient alongside the traditional recipe, but older recipe books often forgo this to create more of a challenge.