Old English Spice Cake With Currant Hard Sauce

Recipe Ingredients

		Cake
1 cup	198g / 7oz	Unsalted butter
2 cups	396g / 13oz	Sugar
4 cups	792g / 27oz	Eggs (large)
3/4 cup	177ml	Milk
3 cups	187g / 6.6oz	Unbleached white flour
1/4 cup	59ml	Hot water
2 teaspoons	10ml	Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Threads
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Vanilla extract
2 teaspoons	10ml	Caraway seeds
1		Lemon AND one orange - zest of
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Mace
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Nutmeg
		Currant Hard Sauce
1/2 cup	99g / 3.5oz	Unsalted butter
1/4 lb	113g / 4oz	Cream cheese
3/4 cup	148g / 5.2oz	Confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons	30ml	Lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Saffron threads
1 teaspoon	5ml	Vanilla extract
1/4 cup	40g / 1.4oz	Yellow raisins
1/4 cup	15g / 0.5oz	Currants

Recipe Instructions

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 1 1/4 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.

Source:
"The Greek Cookery Book" by Sofia Souli

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