Plum Cake
2.27kg (5lb) Flour
2.7kg (6lb) Currants
1.35kg (3lb) Butter
1.1lt (2 pints) Light Yeast*
450g (1lb) Raisins
450g (1lb) Candid Orange
450g (1lb) Caster Sugar, cut in long pieces
225g (8oz) Citron (or Candied Lemon Peel), cut in long pieces
Cream
15 Egg Yolks
8 Egg Whites
80ml (3floz) Brandy or Sack*
25g (1oz) Mace
15g (˝oz) Cinnamon
7g (Ľoz) Nutmeg
Lemon Peel, grated
Orange Flower Water or Rose Water
Salt
Sift the flour, mace, cinnamon, nutmeg and caster sugar together.
Add the grated lemon peel.
Beat the eggs, brandy (or sack), orange flower water (or rose water) mixing thoroughly.
Melt the butter with some of the cream and add the *light yeast and remaining cream, ensure that it is not too hot.
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, raisins candid orange and citron (or candied lemon peel) mixing well.
Prepare a large cake tin (or several) by buttering and lining with buttered greaseproof paper.
Bake in a hot oven.
*Sack - a wine fortified with brandy such as Sherry, Madeira, Marsala or Port.
*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 Plumb Cake
Take five pounds of flour dried and cold, mix to it an ounce of mace, half an ounce of cinnamon, a quarter of an ounce of nutmegs, half a quarter of an ounce of lemon-peel grated, and a pound of fine sugar; take fifteen eggs, leaving out seven of the whites, beat your eggs with half a jill of brandy or sack, a little orange-flower water, or rose water; then put to your eggs near a quart of light yeast, set it on the fire with a quart of cream, and three pounds of butter, let your butter melt in the cream, so let it stand till new milk warm, then skim off all the butter and most of the milk, and mix it to your eggs and yeast; make a hole in the middle of your flour, and put in your yeast, strinkle at the tip a little flour, then mix to it a little salt, six pounds of currans well wash'd clean'd, dry'd, pick'd, and plump'd by the fire, a pound of the best raisins stoned, and beat them altogether whilst they leave the bowl; put in a pound of candid orange, and half a pound of citron cut in long pieces; then butter the garth and fill it full; bake it in a quick oven, against it be enough have an iceing ready.
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.
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