[Sca-cooks] Re: recipe for porter cake... was] One of the original fruitcakes has been admitted to ; -)

[karobert at unm.edu]

Quoting Phlip <phlip at 99main.com>
> 
> Recipe. please?

be warned that for this cake you kinda need an appreciation for bitter
flavors... like porter...  and i have substituted any combination of
dried fruits for raisins and currants.... AND used grated orange peel
for flavor when i didn't have candied peel...   terribly versitile recipe.

cailte

Porter Cake
    from Real Irish Cookery (bought for 70p in ireland 5 yrs ago.... 
    tiny little booklet from a visitor information center in dublin

1 lb. flour
1/2 lb. currants
1/2 lb. raisins
1/4 lb. mixed peel (i assume candied peel, not citron)
3/4 lb. brown sugar
2 tsps. mixed spice (i use ginger and nutmeg and clove and a tad of 
   cinnamon)
rind 1 lemon
1/2 lb. butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 bottle porter (enuf to make a batter... no oz. given.. guess you gotta 
   know how much porter is vended in a bottle in ireland... i use    
   guiness)
4 eggs


sieve the flour and rub in the butter; add the fuit, spice, peel etc. 
beat eggs;  heat porter and pour it over the soda.  pour porter and eggs
over dry ingredients.  mix well and beat for 15 min; bake in a well
greased tin in a moderate oven (350 F/180C) for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.   keep
for a week before cutting.

the 3 houer marks seemed excessive to me, so i  use the toothpick
test... seems not to harm it...