Old english spice cake with currant hard sauce

1 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 cup Unsalted butter (225g)
2 cups Sugar (400g)
4 larges Eggs
¾ cup Milk (180ml)
3 cups Unbleached white flour (300g)
¼ cup Hot water (60ml)
2 teaspoons Baking powder
½ cup Unsalted butter (1 15g)
¼ pounds Cream cheese (60g)
¾ cup Confectioners' sugar (75g)
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
½ teaspoon Threads
½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 teaspoons Caraway seeds
gram Zest of one lemon AND one orange
½ teaspoon EACH of ground cinnamon, cloves, mace and nutmeg
½ teaspoon Saffron threads
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
¼ cup Yellow raisins (45g)
¼ cup Currants (45g)

Directions

CAKE

CURRANT HARD SAUCE

Here I adapted an 18th century English spice cake recipe which also makes nice cupcakes.

Powder saffron, work into butter. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and caraway. Sift together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to batter alternately with milk. Mix in zest. Pour into greased, floured sheet cake or cupcake pan.

Preheat oven and bake at 350F (175C) for about 1¼ hrs. Check after 1 hour. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then on rack. Serve with dollop of Currant Hard Sauce.

CURRANT HARD SAUCE:

Powder saffron, work into chilled cream cheese. Cream together butter and cheese. Beat until light and fluffy. Mix in remaining ingredients and chill. Serve at room temperature.

From "Wild About Saffron++A Contemporary Guide to an Ancient Spice", by Ellen Szita. Published by Saffron Rose, 28 John Glenn Circle, Daly City, Ca., 94105. 1987.

Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; March 30 1993.

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