Mum's wedding/ Christmas cake recipe
The following is the recipe as sent to me, in the words of the Expert.
The cake recipe below is the one I make every year, but like all of this
type, needs time to mature. I do not freeze my cakes and puds but let them
mature in the refrigerator. I will give you the recipe as I was given it
many years ago (38?) and will add comments afterwards.
Wedding Cake (also used for Craig's Christening Cake)
12 oz butter
12 oz sugar
12 oz raisins
12 oz currants
12 oz sultanas
16 oz flour
6 eggs
¼ oz lemon peel
4 oz almonds
4 oz walnuts
4 oz preserved ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon treacle (black)
6 level tablespoons blackcurrant jam (the recipe says this is the secret of
the cake and will keep for months) [ but I have to add that a food science
person I once mentioned this to, did not agree]
(One 400grm tin bl. jam = 12 tbs, enough for 2 cakes)
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, add treacle and dry
ingredients, fruit and nuts; lastly blackcurrant jam.
makes for an 8" tin but is deep so a 10" tin will be alright.
Bottom tier of a wedding cake will be 1½ times this quantity of mixture and
could go into a 12" tin.
Oven to 400*F then turn off, and turn bottom to low and leave cake about 5
hours.
(These are the instructions as I received them - very outdated now with
modern ovens.
I find 350 degrees F or 150 - 180 degrees Celcius OK and cook for about 3 -
4 hours - watch cake in the last hour until you know recipe and your own
oven and baking tin. Line the tin with baking paper on bottom and sides. I
always wrap the outside of the tin with folded newspaper secured with
small skewers and I place a section of paper carefully over the top of the
cake to prevent it browning too fast. Take great care to safeguard against
the paper catching fire in the oven - keep it clear of the elements.
I also like to vary part of the fruit mix - substitute some of the fruit
with dates, figs or whatever you wish.
This recipe does not call for the fruit to be soaked in brandy or other
spirits, but I have done that sometimes, overnight, before cooking the cake
the next day.
I have always lavishly brushed the cake with brandy when it is cold on all
sides (surprising how much it absorbs!) then wrapped the cake in lunch
paper and aluminium foil for storage with sections of newspaper outside of
that also, especially if it is to be kept out of the refrig.
However, my sister-in-law taught me a new trick this year when I made
wedding cakes on her behalf. She pours a generous amount of brandy over the
hot cake after taking it from the oven. Use your own judgement as to
quantity but I would use at least ½ cup or more. It goes straight in to the
heart of the cake.
If making this recipe for wedding cake tiers I think I made a double recipe
quantity for the bottom tier - 12" tin - to get a good depth and proportion
for icing.
This above quantity for middle tier and I suppose about ¾ quantity for top
tier, but I am not absolutely certain now.
Remember that these are old, not metric, measurements and are imperial not
American measurement (There is a difference in cup and spoon size.)