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A selection of cake recipes from An Irish Country Kitchen by Mary Kinsella, published by Appletree Press.
TEA & SUPPER CAKES
MINCEMEAT CHEESECAKE
This combines pastry and the basic cake mixture together with a filling of dried fruit and a taste both of spirits and almonds. It is a great favourite during the Christmas season.
Serves 8–10
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Oven Temperature: gas 6, 200°C, 400°F
Oven Position: centre
Ingredients:
pastry: 6oz flour 175g 11/2 cups
pinch of salt
4oz margarine 100g 1/2 cup
1 egg yolk
2–3 tablespoons water
filling: 3–4 tablespoons mincemeat
1–2 tablespoons rum
4oz margarine 100g 1/2 cup
4oz caster sugar 100g 1/2 cup
2 eggs
6oz self-raising flour 175g 11/2 cups
2oz ground almonds 50g 1/3 cup
Method for pastry: Sieve flour and salt into a bowl. Add butter and cut into small pieces; rub this into flour with tips of fingers until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add yolk and water, bind well together. Turn onto a floured board and knead lightly. Leave in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll out pastry and line a 9-inch layer tin. Set aside a little pastry.
Method for filling: Mix the mincemeat and rum together and put in pastry shell. Put margarine, sugar, eggs, flour and almonds into a bowl and beat for 3 minutes until well creamed together. Arrange mixture on top of mincemeat. Roll out remaining pastry and cut into long strips nine inches by a half-inch. Decorate top of mixture with pastry strips; put into oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
LIGHT FRUITCAKE
This cake is convenient for a busy housekeeper because when baked it can be stored in an airtight tin and still remain fresh for two weeks. It’s not expensive to make and there’s great cutting in it.
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 11/4 –11/2 hours
Oven Position: centre
Oven Temperature: gas 4, 180°C, 350°F
Ingredients:
8oz flour 225g 2 cups
pinch of salt
6oz butter or margarine 175g 3/4 cup
6oz caster sugar 175g 3/4 cup
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
4oz raisins or sultanas 100g 1/2 cup
2oz candied peel 50g 1/3 cup
2oz cherries (sliced and tossed in a little flour) 50g 1/3 cup
Method: Line and grease a deep 8-inch cake tin. Prepare as for Basic Cake, adding the prepared fruit, and bake.
CHRISTMAS CAKE KINSELLA
Mother called it old-time Christmas cake, but I never saw its like in any other home. She prepared it on a flat sheet so that it took only about an hour to bake. Today such cakes are baked in deep tins, requiring a longer cooking time. Mother’s Christmas cake had a beautiful aroma when hot and fresh from the oven. Often we would cut off a hot slice from the heel or crust, and spread it thick with creamy country butter.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Oven Position: centre
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Oven Temperature: gas 4, 180°C, 350°F
Ingredients:
12oz flour 340g 3 cups
pinch of salt
7oz margarine 200g 1 cup
7oz caster sugar 200g 1 cup
3/4 teaspoon mixed spice
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4oz mixed peel 100g 1/2 cup
2oz glacé cherries 50g 1/3 cup
12oz raisins 325g 2 cups
12oz sultanas 325g 2 cups
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1/4 pint of milk 150ml 5/8 cup
Method: Grease a baking sheet. Sieve flour and salt into a bowl. Cut margarine into small pieces and rub into the flour with fingers until very fine. Add sugar, spices, fruit and baking powder to the dry ingredients. Mix well together. Beat the egg and milk together, add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Roll out to one inch in thickness. Put onto the tin and bake for an hour.When baked, cool on a wire tray.
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