Mrs Beetons Baking Recipes Revisited
Soda Cake
450g (1lb) Flour
235ml (8floz) Milk
225g (8oz) Currants
225g (8oz) Moist Sugar (Soft Brown Sugar)
110g (4oz) Butter
3 Eggs
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
Rub the butter into the flour, add the currants and sugar and mix together well.
Whisk the eggs well, stir them to the flour, etc., with the milk, in which the soda should be previously dissolved and beat together with a wooden spoon or beater.
Divide the dough into two pieces.
Put into buttered moulds or cake tins.
Bake in a moderate oven for nearly an hour.
The mixture must be extremely well beaten and not allowed to stand after the soda is added to it, but must be placed in the oven immediately.
Great care must also be taken that the cakes are quite done through, which may be tested by thrusting a knife into the middle of them, if the blade looks bright when withdrawn, they are done.
If the tops acquire too much colour before the inside is sufficiently baked, cover them over with a piece of clean white paper, to prevent them from burning.
Time: 1 hour.
Sufficient to make 2 small cakes.
Seasonable at any time.
SODA-CAKE
1781. INGREDIENTS - 1/4 lb. of butter, 1 lb. of flour, 1/2 lb. of currants, 1/2 lb. of moist sugar, 1 teacupful of milk, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda.
Mode - Rub the butter into the flour, add the currants and sugar, and mix these ingredients well together. Whisk the eggs well, stir them to the flour, &c., with the milk, in which the soda should be previously dissolved, and beat the whole up together with a wooden spoon or beater. Divide the dough into two pieces, put them into buttered moulds or cake-tins, and bake in a moderate oven for nearly an hour. The mixture must be extremely well beaten up, and not allowed to stand after the soda is added to it, but must be placed in the oven immediately. Great care must also be taken that the cakes are quite done through, which may be ascertained by thrusting a knife into the middle of them: if the blade looks bright when withdrawn, they are done. If the tops acquire too much colour before the inside is sufficiently baked, cover them over with a piece of clean white paper, to prevent them from burning.
Time - 1 hour.
Average cost, 1s. 6d.
Sufficient to make 2 small cakes.
Seasonable at any time.
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