SC: Another Very Good Cake Was: Re: SC - Digby's Excellent Cake

[Anne-Marie Rousseau]

Hi all from Anne-Marie.
Just for comparisons sake, here's another cake from Digby. You'll notice
lots of similarities to the one in Cariadoc and Elizabeths work. There's a
few differences too. We found that even the short half hour of rising makes
a difference. We chose golden raisens mostly becuase I prefer them :) This
cake is pretty good at room temperature. When warm, however, the sack and
nutmeg combine and become aromatic and heady...Wonderful stuff!

If you use or publish this recipe, all I ask is that you let me know.
Enjoy! This one is a favorite with some of us in the Guild here in Madrone.
- --AM

Another very good Cake (Digby p212)
Take four quarts of fine flour, two pound and half of Butter, three
quarters of a pound of Sugar, four Nutmegs, a little Mace, a pound of
Almonds finely beaten, half a pint of Sack, a pint of good Ale-yeast, a
pint of boiled Cream, twelve yolks, and four whites of eggs; four pound of
Currans. When you have wrought all these into a very fine paste, let it be
kept warm before the fire half an hour, before you set it into the Oven. If
you please, you may put into it two pound of Raisens of the Sun stoned and
quartered. Let your Oven be of a temperate heat, and let your Cake stand
therein two hours and a half, before you ice it; and afterwards only to
harden the ice. The ice for this Cake is made thus. Take the whites of
three new-laid eggs, and three quarters of a pound of fine Sugar finely
beaten; beat it well together with the whites of the eggs, and ice the
Cake. If you please you may add a little Musk or Ambergreece.


Another Very Good Cake from Digby p212
(amounts from original in proportion, just scaled down)
3 1/4 c flour
2 sticks butter, softened
Cut in butter with fork/your hand until mealy (no lumps)
Add 1/3 c. sugar
2 t nutmeg
1/4 tsp mace
1 c currants
2/3 c. golden raisens
3/4 cup ground almonds
mix well to blend.

Beat well together:
1/2 c half and half, warmed to body temp.
1/4 c. sack (Dry Sack, available from the liquor store, NOT cooking
sherry!)
1 egg
2 egg yolks
Dissolve 1t yeast in 1/3 cup beer or warm water.. let it sit on the stove
with the oven on till it's a bit burbly and warmed up. Add to beaten egg
stuff. Mix well with a fork.

Add to dry ingredients. Mix well. It's a heavy dough, like cookie dough.
Butter and flour a ring mold. Spoon the dough into the ring mold, and cover
with a towl. Let rise in a warm place 1/2 hour (it will not apprciably
rise). Bake in a 350o oven for 1 hour 15 minutes. Do not overbake...check
by sticking with a knife. It will come out damp looking, but not gooey.
Remove from ring mold onto a cookie sheet. Drizzle with icing of 2 egg
whites and 2 cups powdered sugar. Return to oven for a couple minutes to
harden icing. Serve warm if possible.


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