Take three pounds and an half of flower ; one penny
worth of Cloves and Mace ; and a quarter of apound
of Sugar and Salt, and strew it on the flower. Then
take the yolks of eight Eggs well beaten, with a
spoonful and half of rose water ; Then take a pint
of thick Cream, and a pound of Butter ; Melt them
together, and when it is so, take three quarters of a
pint of Ale-yest, and mingle the yest and Eggs to-
gether. Then take the warm liquor, and mingle all
together ; when you have done, take all, and pour
it in the bowl, and so cover the flower over the liquor ;
then cover the pan with a Napkin, and when it is
risen, take four pounds of Currants, well washed
and dryed, and half a pound of Raisins of the Sun✪ Another Cake
sliced, and let them be well dryed and hot, and so
stir them in. When it is risen, have your oven hot
against the Cake is made ; let it stand three quarters
of an hour. When it is half baked. Ice it over with
fine Sugar and Rose-water, and the whites of Eggs,
and Musk and Ambergreece.
When you mingle your yest and Eggs together
for the Cake, put Musk and Amber to that.
21 8 SIR KENELME DIGBIE
TO MAKE A PLUMB-CAKE
Take a peck of flower, and put it In half. Then take
two quarts of good Ale-yest, and strain it into half
the flower, and some new milk boiled, and almost
cold again ; make it into a very light paste, and set
it before the fire to rise ; Then take five pound of
Butter, and melt it in a skillet, with a quarter of a
pint of Rose-water ; when your paste is risen, and
your oven almost hot, which will be by this time,
take your paste from the fire, and break it into small
pieces, and take your other part of flower, and strew
it round your paste ; Then take the melted Butter,
and put it to the past, and by degrees work the paste
and flower together, till you have mingled all very
well. Take six Nutmegs,some Cinnamon and Mace
well beaten, and two pound of Sugar, and strew it
into the Paste, as they are a working it. Take three
pounds of Raisins stoned, and twelve pounds of
Currants very well washed and dryed again ; one
pound of Dates sliced ; half a pound of green Cit-
r✪ To Make a Plumb-Cakeon dryed and sliced very thin; strew all these into
the paste, till it have received them all ; Then let
your oven be ready, and make up your Cake, and
set it into the oven ; but you must have a great care,
it doth not take cold. Then to Ice it, take a pound
andhalf of double refined Sugar beaten and searsed;
The whites of three Eggs new-laid, and a little
Orange-flower-water, with a little musk and Amber-
greece, beaten and searsed, and put to your sugar;
Then strew your Sugar into the Eggs, and beat it
in a stone Mortar with a Woodden Pestel, till it be
as white as snow, which will be by that time the
THE CLOSET OPEDjED 219
Page 129 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1910. 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
Take three pounds and an half of flower ; one penny worth of Cloves and Mace ; and a quarter of apound of Sugar and Salt, and strew it on the flower. Then take the yolks of eight Eggs well beaten, with a spoonful and half of rose water ; Then take a pint of thick Cream, and a pound of Butter ; Melt them together, and when it is so, take three quarters of a pint of Ale-yest, and mingle the yest and Eggs together. Then take the warm liquor, and mingle all together ; when you have done, take all, and pour it in the bowl, and so cover the flower over the liquor ; then cover the pan with a Napkin, and when it is risen, take four pounds of Currants, well washed and dryed, and half a pound of Raisins of the Sun sliced, and let them be well dryed and hot, and so stir them in. When it is risen, have your oven hot against the Cake is made ; let it stand three quarters of an hour. When it is half baked. Ice it over with fine Sugar and Rose-water, and the whites of Eggs, and Musk and Ambergreece.
When you mingle your yest and Eggs together for the Cake, put Musk and Amber to that.
TO MAKE A PLUMB-CAKE
Take a peck of flower, and put it In half. Then take two quarts of good Ale-yest, and strain it into half the flower, and some new milk boiled, and almost cold again ; make it into a very light paste, and set it before the fire to rise ; Then take five pound of Butter, and melt it in a skillet, with a quarter of a pint of Rose-water ; when your paste is risen, and your oven almost hot, which will be by this time, take your paste from the fire, and break it into small pieces, and take your other part of flower, and strew it round your paste ; Then take the melted Butter, and put it to the past, and by degrees work the paste and flower together, till you have mingled all very well. Take six Nutmegs,some Cinnamon and Mace well beaten, and two pound of Sugar, and strew it into the Paste, as they are a working it. Take three pounds of Raisins stoned, and twelve pounds of Currants very well washed and dryed again ; one pound of Dates sliced ; half a pound of green Citron dryed and sliced very thin; strew all these into the paste, till it have received them all ; Then let your oven be ready, and make up your Cake, and set it into the oven ; but you must have a great care, it doth not take cold. Then to Ice it, take a pound and half of double refined Sugar beaten and searsed; The whites of three Eggs new-laid, and a little Orange-flower-water, with a little musk and Ambergreece, beaten and searsed, and put to your sugar; Then strew your Sugar into the Eggs, and beat it in a stone Mortar with a Woodden Pestel, till it be as white as snow, which will be by that time the
Records on this page
Another CakeTo Make a Plumb-Cake