Wednesday, 7 January 2009

mrs. beeton's very good seed cake

This is from Mrs. Beeton's Cookbook of Household Management, as requested by lovely Lisa. Nice one, Mrs. Beeton!

INGREDIENTS - 1 lb. of butter, 6 eggs, 3/4 lb. of sifted sugar, pounded mace and grated
nutmeg to taste, 1 lb. of flour, 3/4 oz. of caraway seeds, 1 wineglassful of brandy.

Mode - Beat the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour; add the sugar, mace, nutmeg, and caraway
seeds, and mix these ingredients well together. Whisk the eggs, stir to them the brandy, and beat
the cake again for 10 minutes. Put it into a tin lined with buttered paper, and bake it from 1-1/2
to 2 hours. This cake would be equally nice made with currants, and omitting the caraway seeds.

Time - 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
Average cost, 2s. 6d.
Seasonable at any time.


MODERN INSTRUCTIONS!
1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3 and grease and line a
7" (18cm) to 8" (20cm) round cake tin.
2. Cream the butter with the sugar and then sift in the flour.
3. Add the mace, nutmeg and caraway seeds and mix together well.
(Add the chopped candied peel if using at this stage as well).
4. Stir in the whisked eggs and the brandy.
5. Beat the cake again for 2 to 3 minutes, until very smooth and with
no lumps.
6. Pour the mixture into a tin lined with buttered paper.
7. Bake it for 1½ to 2 hours, until a skewer comes out clean when
tested, and the cake is well risen, firm and golden brown.

3 comments:

Apples N Honey said...

Ok, so I'm not a baker by any means. I only got through that month of my Culinary Arts course by the skills of my baking partner (he was soooo awesome). I notice that there isn't a baking temperature and I would totally eff this up. What temperature Mrs. Beeton! Manage my Household!

desdemona said...

try that, sweetness. i got the modern instructions for you.

Apples N Honey said...

Thank you! I am sooooo teh suck.