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A selection of cake recipes from An Irish Country Kitchen by Mary Kinsella, published by Appletree Press.
TEA & SUPPER CAKES
BARM BRACK
This brack is traditionally made at Hallowe’en. A ring is wrapped in paper or tinfoil and baked into the mixture. Whoever gets the slice with the ring in it is supposed to be the first to get married. This brack is rich but light and is best eaten fresh with plenty of butter.
Serves 10
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Resting time: 1–11/2 hours
Cooking Time: 40–50 minutes
Oven Position: centre
Oven Temperature: gas 6, 200°C, 400°F
Ingredients:
1lb plain flour 500g 4 cups
1/2 oz fresh yeast (or 1 teaspoon dried yeast) 15g 1 tablespoon
1oz sugar 25g 11/2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons tepid milk
1/2 pint milk 275ml 11/4 cups
2 oz butter or margarine 50g 1/4 cup
2 oz sugar 50g 1/4 cup
1 egg
12oz raisins 350g 2 cups
4oz mixed peel 100g 2/3 cups
Method: Line and grease a deep round tin 9 inches in diameter. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl and leave in a warm place. Put the yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons of tepid milk into a cup and use a spoon to cream together. Leave in a warm place for about 20 minutes until the surface is frothy. Put the milk and butter or margarine into a saucepan; bring to the boil and allow to cool until tepid. Pour the creamed yeast into the flour with sugar and egg, keeping back a little egg. Mix to a loose dough with the tepid milk, butter or margarine. Knead well on a floured board or work table. Shake a little flour into the bowl, return dough to bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 40 to 50 minutes until dough has doubled its original size. Turn dough onto a floured work table and knead the fruit gradually into the dough. Put into prepared tin. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise for a further 20 minutes in a warm place. Brush the top with egg yolk, put into the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. When baked turn onto a wire rack to cool.
RICH FRUIT CAKE
This was commonly made at Christmas, Easter and for birthdays and could keep for months or a year. The fruit was regularly steeped in spirits for hours, usually overnight, swelling the fruit and giving it great flavour. When the cake was baked it was wrapped in foil for a few days and then covered, at least on top, with almond paste; when this was dry, a stiff icing was spread and then the cake was decorated. Decorating a cake of this kind is an art in itself, an art developed after much patient experimentation.
An eight-inch cake is generally made at Christmas. This recipe is also used in Ireland for wedding cakes. Various sizes are made so that a five-inch layer can be placed on top of the eight-inch layer and the eight-inch layer on top of a twelve-inch bottom layer. Four white pillars are used to hold up each cake. Silver shoes, horseshoes, tiny high-heeled shoes and flowers are used to decorate the cake. The bottom tier is generally eaten at the wedding breakfast. The centre tier is cut into slices and given to neighbours and friends; the top tier is kept until the birth of the first child.
Serves 14–16
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 hours
Oven Position: bottom
Oven Temperature: gas 2, 150°C, 300°F
Ingredients:
1 small tin strawberries
1lb raisins 500g 22/3 cups
1lb sultanas 500g 22/3 cups
6oz glacé cherries 175g 1 cup
6oz mixed peel 175g 1 cup
4oz chopped almonds 100g 2/3 cup
4oz chopped dates 100g 2/3 cup
1 glass Irish whiskey
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of mixed spice
pinch of cinnamon
8oz butter 225g 1 cup
8oz caster sugar 225g 1 cup
6 eggs
12oz flour 325g 3 cups
pinch of salt
Method: Line and grease a deep 8-inch cake tin. Strain juice from strawberries and chop them up. Combine all fruit and almonds and soak for a few hours in whiskey. Add spices to the fruit mixture. Cream butter and sugar together until white and creamy. Add in the eggs one by one; a little flour may be added in with each egg. Fold in remaining sieved flour and salt. Put in the soaked fruit mix and turn cake into prepared tin. Put into the oven, cover with a double sheet of greaseproof paper and bake for 5–5 1/2 hours. When baked leave in the tin overnight. Remove when cold.
To vary: Cover with almond paste and royal icing.
GINGERBREAD
Good gingerbread is quick and easy to prepare, it was always a favourite with children at home because of its sweet nutty flavour and lovely brown colour.
Serves 10
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 50–55 minutes
Oven Position: centre
Oven Temperature: gas 4, 180°C, 360°F
Ingredients:
9oz flour 250g 21/4 cups
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon bread soda
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
4oz brown sugar 100g 1/2 cup
4oz butter or margarine 100g 1/2 cup
4 level tablespoons treacle
4 level tablespoons golden syrup
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
Method: Line and grease an 8-inch cake tin. Sieve the flour, salt and baking soda into a bowl. Add the spices and sugar. Cut and rub in the butter or margarine. Heat the treacle and syrup in a saucepan. Cool slightly; add the beaten egg and milk and pour contents into the centre of the dry ingredients. Mix well together until smooth. Put into prepared cake tin, set into the oven, and bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
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