I researched a few different versions of the recipe before making it, the consensus being that the recipe from Mrs. Beeton's Household Management (1861) is the standard for the time. The following is the recipe exactly as I made it.
2 sticks Butter, softened
1 cup Sugar
3 Eggs
2 cups Flour
1 tablespoon Caraway Seeds
1 tablespoon Black Poppy Seeds
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
I omitted the 1/4 cup of Brandy and 4 tablespoons of Demerara Sugar (raw brown sugar). I suspect it would be a bit more moist with the addition of the brandy, the alcohol in which will cook off during baking. I didn't have any demerara sugar on hand either, but I think you can easily substitute turbinado (Sugar in the Raw). The sugar on top gives it a little bit of a crunch and brings to mind war rationing, when sugar would be sprinkled on top (and less inside the cake) to make the sweetness more immediate. I also chose to add poppy seeds to up the seedy-ness of the cake without increasing the strong flavor of caraway, which is nowadays most associated with rye bread.
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. I let the butter come to room temperature.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the mixture.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the caraway, poppy seeds, nutmeg, and cinnamon into the flour.
5. Gradually add the flour mixture. Do not overmix. (If using brandy, you could mix it in here.)
6. You should have a thick batter, pour into a greased 8" round pan.
7. Sprinkle with demerara sugar, if desired.
8. Bake for 1 hour.
9. Let cool on a wire rack.
We each enjoyed a slice of seed cake with a cup of iced tea on the first Friday of summer school. Check out more pictures on our flickr account!
No comments:
Post a Comment