Great Cake
2.7kg (6lb) Currants
2.27kg (5lb) Flour
1.6kg (3½lb) Butter
450g (1lb) Caster Sugar
450g (1lb) Citron (Candied Lemon Peel), cut into fairly large pieces
450g (1lb) Candied Orange, cut into fairly large pieces
450g (1lb) Almonds, cut in three or four pieces long ways)
450ml (¾ pint) Cream
150ml (¼ pint) Good Brandy
16 Egg Yolks
8 Egg Whites
2 Large Nutmegs, finely grated
20g (¾oz) Mace, finely grated
Salt
Sift the flour, mace and nutmegs together.
Beat the eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt very well (for 30 minutes).
Mix all of the liquids together, this mixture should be blood-warm.
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture.
Add the liquid mixture and mix thoroughly.
Cover and allow to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes for it to rise.
Add the currants mixing well.
Prepare a large cake tin (or several) by buttering and lining with buttered greaseproof paper.
Add layer of the mixture, then a layer of sweetmeats (citron (candied lemon peel), candied orange and almonds).
Add another layer of the mixture and top with one of sweetmeats.
Bake in a hot oven for 2 hours.
Notes: In the original recipe it states that the sugar is added to the dry ingredient and later that it should be mixed with the eggs.
*Light Yeast, I am unsure of what this mixture is if anyone does please let me know?
It might be warm milk (or milk and water), with a little sugar and a sprinkling of flour to which yeast has been added in order to activate it, quite how much yeast is required is uncertain.
To make a Great Cake
Take five pounds of fine flour, (let it be dried very well before the fire) and six pounds of currans well dress'd and rub'd in cloths after they are wash'd, set them in a sieve before the fire; you must weigh your currans after they are cleaned, then take three quarters of an ounce of mace, two large nutmegs beaten and mix'd amongst the flour, and pound of powder sugar, and pound of citron, and a pound of candid orange, (cut your citron and orange in pretty large pieces) and a pound of almonds cut in three or four pieces long way; then take sixteen eggs, leaving out half of the whites, beat your sugar and eggs for half an hour with a little salt; take three jills of cream, and three pounds and a half of butter, melt your butter with part of the cream for fear it should be too hot, put in between a jack and a jill of good brandy, a quart of light yeast, and the rest of the cream, mix all your liquors together about blood-warm, make a hole in the middle of your flour, and put in the liquids, cover it half an hour and let it stand to rise, then put in your currans and mix all together; butter your hoop, tie a paper three fold, and put it at the bottom in your hoop; just when they are ready to set in the oven, put the cake into your hoop at three times; when you have laid a little paste at the bottom, lay in part of your sweet-meats and almonds, then put in a little paste over them again, and the rest of your sweet-meats and almonds, and set it in a quick oven; two hours will bake it.
English Housewifry - 1764
Cake Icing
900g (2lb) Icing Sugar
1 tbsp Fine Starch
4-5 Egg Whites
1 tbsp Rose Water, or Orange Flower Water
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
Gum Arabic
Sift the icing sugar, add the starch and gum arabic and mix thoroughly.
Whisk the egg whites with the rose water, (or orange flower water) and lemon juice.
Gradually add the sugar until the mixture is of the desired consistency for spreading.
Beat well (for 2 hours).
When the cake is cooked wipe off any loose currants.
Spread the icing thickly over the cake.
Place it into a warm oven to set the icing.
To make Iceing for this Cake
Take two pounds of double-refined sugar, beat it, and sift it through a fine sieve; put to it a spoonful of fine starch, a pennyworth of gum-arabic, beat them all well together; take the whites of four or five eggs, beat them well, and put to them a spoonful of rose-water, or orange-flower water, a spoonful of the juice of lemon, beat them with the whites of your eggs, and put in a little to your sugar till you wet it, then beat them for two hours whilst your cake is baking; if you make it over thin it will run; when you lie it on your cake you must lie it on with a knife; if you would have the iceing very thick, you must add a little more sugar; wipe off the loose currans before you put on the iceing, and put it into the oven to harden the iceing.
English Housewifry - 1764
Note: This recipe has not been tested by The Foody, please read the original recipe text before attempting to cook it.
Many of such recipes do not contain exact weights and measures, or cooking temperatures, so it is advised that only experienced cooks should attempt using them.
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