The Special Ingredient That Made John F. Kennedy's Favorite Waffle Recipe So Good

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You might expect the typical presidents to sit down for a long, luxurious breakfast spread every morning. The reality is, many past commanders-in-chief have stuck to standard fare, like eggs, toast, and coffee. But one president had a favorite breakfast recipe that's worth recreating at home: The waffles that former President John F. Kennedy enjoyed. And the ingredient made them stand out from the average waffle? Cake flour.

Most of the time, America's 35th president ate a routine breakfast of toast, eggs, bacon, orange juice, and coffee, similar to many other past presidents. However, he was also known to enjoy waffles. His particular favorite recipe for the latter is recorded in the National Archives, and the directions state to serve with hot maple syrup and butter. Most of the ingredients are quite standard, but a key element that stands out is the use of cake flour as opposed to all-purpose. It's often not recommended to substitute cake flour in recipes, but here, it serves a purpose.

Cake flour is made from finely milled soft wheat and has a lower protein content — usually around 5–8%, compared to the 10–13% in the case of all-purpose versions. This results in a tender texture, giving it a quiet advantage in this regard. Bakers turn to it when making recipes for angel food as well as chiffon cakes and, in Kennedy's case, waffles.

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If you've made waffles at home, you know there are important variables to juggle. The batter thickness, mixing technique, and cooking temperature all matter when trying to achieve a particular texture. Because cake flour has a lower protein content, it forms less gluten when mixed with liquids and eggs. The resulting waffles will be finer and airier, avoiding the heavy breadiness that all-purpose flour can sometimes create. Cake flour also absorbs more liquid, which can support a greater rise when cooking in the waffle iron.

If you want to try the presidential waffles for yourself, be sure not to overmix the batter. With cake flour, you want to stir just until the batter comes together, and leaving a few lumps is okay. Overmixing can lead to the overdevelopment of gluten, which would mean denser waffles. Use buttermilk if you can; the original recipe calls for it, and its acidity reacts well with baking soda and enhances flavor and rise. For a perfect golden-brown, crispy exterior, let your waffle iron get fully heated before you pour in the batter to get the perfect, golden-brown, crispy exterior.