Seed Cake
Seed cake is old school - really old school. The earliest recipes for a cake flavoured with caraway seeds comes to us from 1591’s The Book of Cookrye and several subsequent versions appear in cookbooks and household manuals right through to the 19th century. This cake was popular and well-liked for so long because of its main ingredient: caraway seeds. Not only do they impart a nutty anise flavour, but they were also believed to aid in digestion, so eating a cake studded with caraway seeds after a meal was considered a delicious and effective way to end supper. As it happens, this belief is true - caraway is a digestive aid. But, happily, it also makes a tasty snacking cake or an after-dinner morsel, so feel free to enjoy this seed cake whenever the fancy strikes!
Ingredients
450 g butter
450 g flour
350 g sugar
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
6 eggs, whisked
200 ml brandy or 200 ml madeira
ground mace and grated nutmeg, to taste (these are both powerful spices, so I like about 1/8 tsp each)
50 g chopped candied citrus peel (optional)
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 170 °C or 325°F and grease and line a 7" round cake tin.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then sift in the flour.
Add the mace, nutmeg, and caraway seeds, and mix well. (Add the chopped candied peel if using at this stage as well.)
Stir in the whisked eggs and the brandy.
Beat the cake again for 2 to 3 minutes, until the batter is very smooth.
Pour the mixture into your tin lined with buttered paper.
Bake it for 1½ to 2 hours, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is well risen, firm, and golden brown.
Now, caraway seeds can be tricky to lay your hands on - they are not as popular as they once were. Some grocery stores and specialty shops will have them, but if you are in a pinch and cannot hunt up the seeds in question, you can reach for fennel seeds or poppy seeds. However, the result will be quite different: you will have made a cake with seeds, rather than a seed cake, strictly speaking. Also, keep in mind that this cake is quite dry. It is meant to be: some writers describe it as having a delightful ‘clack’, or the tendency to stick to the roof of one’s mouth. A pretty colourful image, but never mind. As such, I recommend pairing seed cake with a beverage - it was made to be eaten at tea time, so a cup of tea is always a good choice. You could also try lemonade or cordial, or a charming little glass of something stronger (brandy or madeira, perhaps) to go along with it if a cup of tea is not quite your cup of tea. Enjoy!
Jennifer