Mrs Beetons Baking Recipes Revisited
Good Holiday Cake
900g (2lb) Flour
450g (1lb) Currants
450ml (¾ pint) Cold Milk
225g (8oz) Stoned and Cut Raisins
225g (8oz) Moist Sugar (Soft Brown Sugar)
170g (6oz) Butter
110g (4oz) Lard
110g (4oz) Mixed Candied Peel
3 Eggs
1½d? Worth of Borwick’s German Baking Powder [or
Modern Equivalent]
Sift the baking powder with the flour.
Rub in the butter and lard.
Have the currants ready , washed, picked and dried the raisins stoned and cut into small pieces (not chopped) and the peel cut into neat slices.
Add these with the sugar to the flour, etc. and mix all the dry ingredients together well.
Whisk the eggs, stir to them into the milk and use to moisten the cake.
Beat well, so it is thoroughly mixed.
Line a cake tin with buttered paper, put in the cake.
Bake it from 2¼ to 2¾ hours in a good oven.
To check when it is done, plunge a clean knife into the middle of it and if, on withdrawing it, the knife looks clean and not sticky, the cake is done.
To prevent its burning at the top, a piece of clean paper may be put over whilst the cake is baking, or being thoroughly cooked in the middle.
A steamer, such as is used for steaming potatoes, makes a very good cake tin, if it be lined at the bottom and sides with buttered paper.
Time: 2¼ to 2¾ hours.
Seasonable at any time.
GOOD HOLIDAY CAKE
1763. INGREDIENTS - 1-1/2d. worth of Borwick’s German baking-powder, 2 lbs. of flour, 6 oz. of butter, 1/4 lb. of lard, 1 lb. of currants, 1/2 lb. of stoned and cut raisins, 1/4 lb. of mixed candied peel, 1/2 lb. of moist sugar, 3 eggs, 3/4 pint of cold milk.
Mode - Mix the baking-powder with the flour; then rub in the butter and lard; have ready the currants, washed, picked, and dried the raisins stoned and cut into small pieces (not chopped), and the peel cut into neat slices. Add these with the sugar to the flour, &c., and mix all the dry ingredients well together. Whisk the eggs, stir to them the milk, and with this liquid moisten the cake; beat it up well, that all may be very thoroughly mixed; line a cake-tin with buttered paper, put in the cake, and bake it from 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours in a good oven. To ascertain when it is done, plunge a clean knife into the middle of it, and if, on withdrawing it, the knife looks clean, and not sticky, the cake is done. To prevent its burning at the top, a piece of clean paper may be put over whilst the cake is soaking, or being thoroughly cooked in the middle. A steamer, such as is used for steaming potatoes, makes a very good cake-tin, if it be lined at the bottom and sides with buttered paper.
Time - 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours.
Average cost, 2s. 6d.
Seasonable at any time.
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