Old English Spice Cake With Currant Hard Sauce Recipe - Cooking Index

Old English Spice Cake With Currant Hard Sauce

Cuisine: English
Courses: Dessert
Serves: 8 people

Recipe Ingredients

  Cake
1 cup  Unsalted butter
2 cups  Sugar
4 cups  Eggs (large)
3/4 cup  Milk
3 cups  Unbleached white flour
1/4 cup  Hot water
2 teaspoons  Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon  Threads
1/2 teaspoon  Vanilla extract
2 teaspoons  Caraway seeds
1   Lemon AND one orange - zest of
1/2 teaspoon  Ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon  Ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon  Mace
1/2 teaspoon  Nutmeg
  Currant Hard Sauce
1/2 cup  Unsalted butter
1/4 lb  Cream cheese
3/4 cup  Confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons  Lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon  Saffron threads
1 teaspoon  Vanilla extract
1/4 cup  Yellow raisins
1/4 cup  Currants

Recipe Instructions

Here I adapted an 18th century English spice cake recipe which also makes nice cupcakes.

Powder saffron, work into butter. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and caraway. Sift together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to batter alternately with milk. Mix in zest. Pour into greased, floured sheet cake or cupcake pan.

Preheat oven and bake at 350F (175C) for about 1 1/4 hrs.

Check after 1 hour. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then on rack.

Serve with dollop of Currant Hard Sauce.

CURRANT HARD SAUCE:

Powder saffron, work into chilled cream cheese. Cream together butter and cheese. Beat until light and fluffy. Mix in remaining ingredients and chill. Serve at room temperature.

From "Wild About Saffron-A Contemporary Guide to an Ancient Spice", by Ellen Szita. Published by Saffron Rose, 28 John Glenn Circle, Daly City, Ca., 94105. 1987.

Source:
"The Greek Cookery Book" by Sofia Souli

Rating

Average rating:

Unrated, please add a rating

Submit your rating:

Click a star to rate this recipe.