Banbury Cake
Ingredients
3/4 C. light cream
1/2 C. butter
1/4 C. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 packet yeast
1/4 C. water; tepid
2 eggs, plus 1 white; lightly beaten
1/4 tsp. nutmeg; freshly grated
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. mace
4 C. sifted unbleached white flour; up to 4 1/2 C.
1/3 C. currants
Optional icing
3 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar; dissolved in
1 Tbsp. milk
Dash anise extract
Cooking Instructions
In a saucepan, scald cream. Add butter, sugar, and salt. Stir to dissolve. Pour mixture into a large bowl and cool to lukewarm. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add yeast, eggs, and spices to cream mixture. In a large bowl, combine 4 C. of flour and currants, stirring until currants are lightly coated. Add flour and currants to cream mixture. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a clean, moistened towel, and set bowl in a warm place for dough to rise until double in bulk. This will take about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough; then knead it again for an additional few minutes. Shape dough into 14-16 2 1/2-inch balls and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Cover cakes with a towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Bake on cookie sheet at 375 about 25 minutes or until tops are golden. Remove cakes from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack. Frost with icing, if you wish.
My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalms 42:3)