228. To make a GREAT CAKE.
Take five pounds of fine flour, (let it be dried very well before the fire) and six pounds of currans well dress'd and rub'd in cloths after they are wash'd, set them in a sieve before the fire; you must weigh your currans after they are cleaned, then take three quarters of an ounce of mace, two large nutmegs beaten and mix'd amongst the flour, and pound of powder sugar, and pound of citron, and a pound of candid orange, (cut your citron and orange in pretty large pieces) and a pound of almonds cut in three or four pieces long way; then take sixteen eggs, leaving out half of the whites, beat your sugar and eggs for half an hour with a little salt; take three jills of cream, and three pounds and a half of butter, melt your butter with part of the cream for fear it should be too hot, put in between a jack and a jill of good brandy, a quart of light yeast, and the rest of the cream, mix all your liquors together about blood-warm, make a hole in the middle of your flour, and put in the liquids, cover it half an hour and let it stand to rise, then put in your currans and mix all together; butter your hoop, tie a paper three fold, and put it at the bottom in your hoop; just when they are ready to set in the oven, put the cake into your hoop at three times; when you have laid a little paste at the bottom, lay in part of your sweet-meats and almonds, then put in a little paste over them again, and the rest of your sweet-meats and almonds, and set it in a quick oven; two hours will bake it.
229. To make ICEING for this CAKE.
Take two pounds of double-refined sugar, beat it, and sift it through a fine sieve; put to it a spoonful of fine starch, a pennyworth of gum-arabic, beat them all well together; take the whites of four or five eggs, beat them well, and put to them a spoonful of rose-water, or orange-flower water, a spoonful of the juice of lemon, beat them with the whites of your eggs, and put in a little to your sugar till you wet it, then beat them for two hours whilst your cake is baking; if you make it over thin it will run; when you lie it on your cake you must lie it on with a knife; if you would have the iceing very thick, you must add a little more sugar; wipe off the loose currans before you put on the iceing, and put it into the oven to harden the iceing.
230. To make a PLUMB CAKE.
Take five pounds of flour dried and cold, mix to it an ounce of mace, half an ounce of cinnamon, a quarter of an ounce of nutmegs, half a quarter of an ounce of lemon-peel grated, and a pound of fine sugar; take fifteen eggs, leaving out seven of the whites, beat your eggs with half a jill of brandy or sack, a little orange-flower water, or rose water; then put to your eggs near a quart of light yeast, set it on the fire with a quart of cream, and three pounds of butter, let your butter melt in the cream, so let it stand till new milk warm, then skim off all the butter and most of the milk, and mix it to your eggs and yeast; make a hole in the middle of your flour, and put in your yeast, strinkle at the tip a little flour, then mix to it a little salt, six pounds of currans well wash'd clean'd, dry'd, pick'd, and plump'd by the fire, a pound of the best raisins stoned, and beat them altogether whilst they leave the bowl; put in a pound of candid orange, and half a pound of citron cut in long pieces; then butter the garth and fill it full; bake it in a quick oven, against it be enough have an iceing ready.
231. To make a CARRAWAY CAKE.
Take eighteen eggs, leave out half of the whites, and beat them; take two pounds of butter, wash the butter clear from milk and salt, put to it a little rose-water, and wash your butter very well with your hands till it take up all the eggs, then mix them in half a jack of brandy and sack; grate into your eggs a lemon rind; put in by degrees (a spoonful at a time) two pounds of fine flour, a pound and a half of loaf sugar, that is sifted and dry; when you have mixed them very well with your hands, take a thible and beat it very well for half an hour, till it look very white, then mix to it a few seeds, six ounces of carraway comfits, and half a pound of citron and candid orange; then beat it well, butter your garth, and put it in a quick oven.
232. To make CAKES to keep all the Year.
Have in readiness a pound and four ounces of flour well dried, take a pound of butter unsalted, work it with a pound of white sugar till it cream, three spoonfuls of sack, and the rind of an orange, boil it till it is not bitter, and beat it with sugar, work these together, then clean your hands, and grate a nutmeg into your flour, put in three eggs and two whites, mix them well, then with a paste-pin or thible stir in your flour to the butter, make them up into little cakes, wet the top with sack and strow on fine sugar; bake them on buttered papers, well floured, but not too much; you may add a pound of currans washed and warmed.