What was the average cost of cake ingredients in 1930?

Unfortunately, finding the exact average cost of cake ingredients in 1930 is nearly impossible. There are a few reasons for this:

* Regional Variations: Prices for ingredients like flour, sugar, and eggs varied greatly depending on location. Some regions had better harvests, while others had higher transportation costs.

* Recipe Diversity: Cakes in 1930 came in countless varieties, using different ingredients and proportions.

* Limited Data: Detailed grocery price records from that era are not easily accessible, especially at the granular level needed to calculate an average cost for cake ingredients.

However, we can get a rough idea:

* Flour: A 5-pound bag of flour in 1930 cost about $0.25 (about $4 in today's dollars).

* Sugar: A 5-pound bag of sugar cost about $0.20 (about $3 today).

* Eggs: A dozen eggs were around $0.20 (about $3 today).

* Butter/Margarine: A pound of butter was around $0.30 (about $4.50 today).

Additional Considerations:

* Baking Powder: A small can was likely around $0.10 (about $1.50 today).

* Milk: Milk prices were also variable, but likely around $0.25 per gallon (about $4 today).

* Other Ingredients: Cakes often included ingredients like spices, vanilla extract, nuts, and dried fruit, which added to the overall cost.

In Conclusion:

While finding a precise average is difficult, it's safe to say a basic cake in 1930 would have cost a few dollars in today's money. However, this is just an estimate and could fluctuate depending on the specific recipe and location.