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(These are the instructions as I received them - very outdated now with modern ovens.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 1/2 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 3/4 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.)