Cornish Recipes > Cornish Black Cake

How to make Cornish black cake:
A rich, traditional festival cake.





Ingredients

2 cups flour
2 cups ground rice
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups icing/confectioner's sugar
4 cups currants
1 cup orange peel
1 cup lemon peel
1/2 cup chopped raisins
1/2 cup chopped sultanas
1 cup chopped almonds
12 eggs
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
brandy 1 wineglass full

for almond paste:
2 cups ground almonds
1 cup icing/confectioner's sugar
1 egg

for the icing:
1 1/2 cups icing/confectioner's sugar
white of 1 egg
(see measure conversions for more information)

Method

- Mix the flour with the bicarbonate and the baking powder.
- In a large basin cream the butter with the caster sugar.
- Add the eggs two at a time with a spoonful of flour.
- Beat well.
- Mix in all other ingredients.
- Put into a well greased tin and bake for 3 hours in a slow oven.
- When cool cover with the almond paste. Allow the paste to dry out for a day or so and then ice.