Ingredients - Makes a 9 inch square cake
1lb flour | 8 Eggs, separated |
1lb butter | 1 lb currants |
1lb caster sugar | 5oz ground almonds |
½ tsp ground mace |
12 oz candied peel, chopped |
½ tsp grated nutmeg | 4fl oz brandy |
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/300° F/Gas Mark 2.
- Generously grease a tall 9in square cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.
- Whip the whites of 8 eggs to stiff peaks and set aside.
- With an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and egg yolks.
- Once they are combined, fold in the egg whites, brandy or juice and spices.
- Add the flour a little at a time until it is incorporated.
- Stir in the ground almonds and currants.
- Spoon ¼ of the batter into the tin and top with ⅓ of the citron, orange peel and lemon peel. Repeat twice more and top with remaining batter.
- Bake for 2½ - 3 hours (a skewer should come out dry).
- This cake relies entirely on the beaten egg white as a raising agent and makes for a lighter fruit cake than today’s wedding cakes. The layering of the candied peel certainly makes for some mouthfuls of beautiful citrus flavoured mouthfuls. All in all, this got the thumbs up from my Official Taster and lasted him for several days.
So with our Bride Cake and glass of bubbly near to hand, my Official Taster and I wish the royal couple a long and happy marriage.