the old people had words over this; one said it must be
baked, the other said it should be boiled ; and they continued
arguing for some time, until one of them, which the legend
sayeth not, tired of the discussion, suggested a compromise ;
and so the cake was first boiled and then baked, and received
the name of Sim (short for Simon) and Nell’s cake, other-
wise Simnel cake. I fear I do not know if this legend may
be credited ; I can only give it as the explanation given to
me in my childhood, and I have seen it referred to often
since then. 12oz. each of butter and of caster sugar, lib.
of flour, lib. of eggs (weigh these), 4oz. candied peel, 12oz.
currants, and a few drops of essence of lemon. Beat the
butter to a cream with the sugar, then work the eggs in,,
one or two at a time, and when these are all used add the
other ingredients quickly and lightly. Prepare some almond
icing thus : Rub together 12oz. caster sugar and 6oz. ground
almonds, and work this to a stiff paste with two small eggs
or one large one. Roll this paste out, dusting it and the
board with a little rice flour ; butter and paper a cake hoop,
and put into it a layer of the cake mixture and then one of
the almond icing, then a second layer of the cake, and bake
in a moderate oven. A lib. cake will take fifty minutes, a
21b. one seventy-five minutes. Or : beat 6oz. each of butter
and caster sugar to a cream, work in four eggs, then mix in
12oz. sifted flour, mixed with half a teaspoonful baking
powder, one teaspoonful mixed spice, half a teaspoonful of
cinnamon, half a teaspoonful ground ginger, |lb. washed and
dried currants, -Jib. each of sultanas and raisins stoned and
chopped, and 4oz. shred candied peel. Half a gill of milk
may be required to get the dough nicely workable. Line a
cake mould with several folds of buttered paper, pour in the
mixture, smooth it over the top, and sprinkle the top with
a little water, then with sugar, sweetmeats, and shred
almonds, and bake one and a half hours in a moderate oven,
protecting it above and below from burning. This cake
should properly be kept four months. By the bye, you will
CAKES.
109
find that 9oz. of ordinary flour and 3oz. of the new “ Paisley ”
flour, instead of the baking powder, will be a great improve-
ment.
The next is a modernised but very nice version. Make a
dough with Alb. of flour and Joz. dried yeast, dissolved in a
gill of lukewarm milk, with a spoonful of sugar ; let this
rise for an hour, then work into it two eggs, lOoz. of
currants, 4oz. of shred candied peel, 4oz. fresh butter
creamed, with 4oz. of caster sugar (✪ Simnel Cakeless the quantity you
add to the yeast), and about a teaspoonful of mixed spice.
When this has all been well mixed in leave it to rise (covered)
again for an hour. Now line a tin with a sheet or two of
buttered paper, put in half the mixture, then cover this
with a layer of almond icing jin. to lin. thick, and add
the rest of the dough. Bake this in a steady oven for two
to two and a half hours, then turn it out, and let it cool.
When cold have ready some almond paste, rolled out
half inch thick, coat the cake entirely with this, and leave
it to set. This cake is better for being kept some time
before cutting. The almond icing in the centre should be
rather softer than that used for the outer casing.
Page 69 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
the old people had words over this; one said it must be baked, the other said it should be boiled ; and they continued arguing for some time, until one of them, which the legend sayeth not, tired of the discussion, suggested a compromise ; and so the cake was first boiled and then baked, and received the name of Sim (short for Simon) and Nell’s cake, otherwise Simnel cake. I fear I do not know if this legend may be credited ; I can only give it as the explanation given to me in my childhood, and I have seen it referred to often since then. 12oz. each of butter and of caster sugar, 1lb. of flour, 1lb. of eggs (weigh these), 4oz. candied peel, 12oz. currants, and a few drops of essence of lemon. Beat the butter to a cream with the sugar, then work the eggs in, one or two at a time, and when these are all used add the other ingredients quickly and lightly. Prepare some almond icing thus : Rub together 12oz. caster sugar and 6oz. ground almonds, and work this to a stiff paste with two small eggs or one large one. Roll this paste out, dusting it and the board with a little rice flour ; butter and paper a cake hoop, and put into it a layer of the cake mixture and then one of the almond icing, then a second layer of the cake, and bake in a moderate oven. A 1lb. cake will take fifty minutes, a 21b. one seventy-five minutes. Or : beat 6oz. each of butter and caster sugar to a cream, work in four eggs, then mix in 12oz. sifted flour, mixed with half a teaspoonful baking powder, one teaspoonful mixed spice, half a teaspoonful of cinnamon, half a teaspoonful ground ginger, 1lb. washed and dried currants, 1lb. each of sultanas and raisins stoned and chopped, and 4oz. shred candied peel. Half a gill of milk may be required to get the dough nicely workable. Line a cake mould with several folds of buttered paper, pour in the mixture, smooth it over the top, and sprinkle the top with a little water, then with sugar, sweetmeats, and shred almonds, and bake one and a half hours in a moderate oven, protecting it above and below from burning. This cake should properly be kept four months. By the by, you will
find that 9oz. of ordinary flour and 3oz. of the new "Paisley" flour, instead of the baking powder, will be a great improvement.
The next is a modernised but very nice version. Make a dough with 1lb. of flour and 1oz. dried yeast, dissolved in a gill of lukewarm milk, with a spoonful of sugar ; let this rise for an hour, then work into it two eggs, lOoz. of currants, 4oz. of shred candied peel, 4oz. fresh butter creamed, with 4oz. of caster sugar (less the quantity you add to the yeast), and about a teaspoonful of mixed spice. When this has all been well mixed in leave it to rise (covered) again for an hour. Now line a tin with a sheet or two of buttered paper, put in half the mixture, then cover this with a layer of almond icing jin. to lin. thick, and add the rest of the dough. Bake this in a steady oven for two to two and a half hours, then turn it out, and let it cool. When cold have ready some almond paste, rolled out half inch thick, coat the cake entirely with this, and leave it to set. This cake is better for being kept some time before cutting. The almond icing in the centre should be rather softer than that used for the outer casing.
Records on this page
Simnel CakeSponge Cake