The early 19th century cake safe was a wooden kitchen cabinet with several narrow shelves enclosed by fitted doors. Doors were made from a variety of materials, such as perforated tinplate, railings, screens, or fabric. Although the cake safe was made to protect candy from rodents and insects, the construction allowed for air circulation. The air circulation was actually an incidental positive feature, as it helped reduce mold growth on stored food. With the lack of modern refrigeration and food preservatives, cooks had no other way to ensure the freshness and safety of their cakes.

Building

The standard American pie safe was on the floor supported by 4 legs. However, in the Pennsylvania Dutch region during the 18th century, hanging models were popular. Some cake safes from this region have been found to have wooden extensions with holes in them, allowing flexibility for the piece to rest on the floor or hang. Doors from the Pennsylvania Dutch region were typically made from tinplate that displayed unique and interesting patterns. By 1830, tinsmiths were producing quality doors, while cabinetmakers had perfected the craft of making more durable cabinets. The production center for these cabinets was Connecticut.

regional differences

It is possible to identify the region of the country where a cake safe was made by the type of wood used in construction.

Cabinetmakers in the Carolinas and Virginia used to use yellow pine.

In the Pennsylvania and New England region soft pine was the wood of choice. In Texas, pie safes were made from Spanish cedar. Those made from cherry and curly maple are rare in all regions.

Value Determination

With many antiques, the following list provides the factors that help determine the value and cost of a piece. However, value is often in the eye of the beholder and cost follows value. However, here are the main determinants of value.

• age
• Region of the country where it is made
• Construction: eg chestnut wood is rarer than pine, oak was rare, poplar was common
• Construction and complexity of doors: tin punch with detailed patterns will cost more than solid doors
• Unique finishes: painted or unpainted, preferred colors are red, green, goldenrod
• Provenance: Can the piece be attributed to a particular cabinetmaker or tinsmith, or to a person of historical importance who owned the piece at some point?

Realized Prices

Merchant records in the 1830s show that pie safes were advertised for between $8.00 and $12.00.

2013, a 19th century American chestnut wood with eight pinwheel cans and old red paint sold for $2300.00 at auction.

2013 an American, first half of the 19th century made of pine with poplar doors and sides, perforated tin sides and bottom drawer with wooden handle, sold at auction for $645.00.

Progress

At the end of the 19th century, cake safes were produced in factories. They were no longer unique creations of individual cabinetmakers. As the century progressed, oak became the popular wood for producing ice chests in which a block of ice was used to store food. This marked the beginning of early refrigeration and the end of food storage in a pie safe.