Seed Cake | 1861 Recipe - OAKDEN

Name: Seed Cake | 1861 Recipe - OAKDEN
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 240g butter (soft); 240g caster sugar; 4 large eggs (beaten); 320g self raising flour (sieved); 4-6 tbsp milk (or single cream); 2 tbsp of demerara (natural brown) sugar; 30g caraway seeds; 3 tbsp of brandy; 1/2 tsp of ground mace; 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg

5 steps

Prep:10minCook:50min

Seed Cake is a very old type of cake, which was very popular for hundreds of years. It was traditionally made for social gatherings, agricultural harvests and feast days, etc. and so the Seed Cake can truly be said to be the cake of the people. This is a very moist and tasty cake, and it will keep for days, so it is perfect for baking on the weekend and eating during the week after work. It is also a great cake for summer; instead of eating a chocolate cake, which is too heavy in the summer, try having a slice of this cake with a cup of tea or coffee, it really is delightful. Some seed cake recipes call for ground almonds to be added, and there is no harm in adding them here if you wish, (ground almonds have also played an important part in British recipes, right from the Medieval period) but this cake is flavoured with caraway seeds. Baking this cake in a round tin gives this cake a more traditional and pleasing appearance than if using a rectangular loaf tin. And adding the sprinkle of demerara (natural brown) sugar on top of the batter, at the end, before baking, gives a wonderful (very thin) crunchy sugar glaze.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 03:01:26 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories551.3 kcal (28%)

Total Fat28 g (40%)

Carbs65.1 g (25%)

Sugars33.4 g (37%)

Protein8.4 g (17%)

Sodium520 mg (26%)

Fiber2.6 g (9%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

8 servings

240gbutter

320gself raising flour

sieved

4 Tbspmilk

or single cream

2 Tbspdemerara sugar

natural brown

30gcaraway seeds

3 Tbspbrandy

½ tspground mace

½ tspground nutmeg

Instructions

Step 1

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350F, 180C

Step 2

Prepare a cake tin – You will also need a greased, 18 cm round cake tin – with the base lined with greaseproof or silicone paper (if it needs it) good quality cake tins just need to be greased.

Step 3

Beat the eggs in a medium sized bowl with a whisk. Then in another larger bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is pale and fluffy, then gradually whisk in the beaten eggs a little at a time. When all the egg , sugar and butter has been mixed, whisk in the caraway seeds, ground mace and ground nutmeg, then lightly fold in the sieved flour. Then add in the brandy, stirring it in.

Step 4

Lastly add just enough milk (or single cream) to loosen the mixture and give the cake batter a good ‘dropping’ consistency (this means the mixture is neither wet nor dry, but will drop off a spoon when tipped). Once at this point, spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Level off the surface with the back of a spoon and then finally sprinkle the demerara (natural brown) sugar all over the top.

Step 5

Bake the seed cake in the centre of the oven for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until a metal skewer comes out clean and hot. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool further. This seed cake will taste even better after a day or two, so wrap it in foil or baking parchment and keep it in an air tight tin. It will keep for several days.

View on oakden.co.uk

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