Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.

A Cornish Cake

A Cornish Cake is a traditional English recipe (from Cornwall) for a classic spiced sultana and treacle cake leavened with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Cornish version of: A Cornish Cake.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

45 minutes

Total Time:

65 minutes

Serves:

8–10

Rating:

Tags : Vegetarian RecipesSpice RecipesBaking RecipesCake RecipesCornwall Recipes

This recipe probably originates to the 1850s where sodium bicarbonate combined with a liquid acid (vinegar here) was used as a leavening agent (this being the precursor of modern double-acting baking soda where the sodium bicarbonate is combined with cream of tartar, releasing tartaric acid when moistened). So this recipe marks the point where we move past yeast and whisked egg whites as leavening agents.

I've been looking for a recipe like this that marks the 1850s for a long time and it was a surprise (pleasant of course) to source one from Cornwall. The recipe here is enough for a 20cm (8in) diameter springform cake tin, though I am certain that it would originally have been baked in a loaf tin.

Given the period of origin of the recipe it would probably have been cooked in an oven after roasting as the oven cooled down. So I guessed that the oven would have started at around 170C (150C fan) and then cooled to 160C (140C fan).

Ingredients:

280g (10 oz) plain flour
115g (4 oz) butter (slightly softened)
115g (4 oz) soft dark brown sugar
250g (9 oz) sultanas
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp marmalade
2 tbsp black treacle (molasses)
2 tbsp malt vinegar
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
a little milk for glazing

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 170C (150C fan/340F). Grease and line a 20cm (8in) diameter springform cake tin.

Sift together the flour and spices into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar then add the sultanas and mix gently to combine.

Combine the marmalade, treacle and vinegar in a heat-proof jug and heat for 30 seconds in a microwave (or until the treacle becomes liquid). Stir in the bicarb and beat in the eggs. Turn the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Turn the resultant batter into your prepared cake tin then brush the top with a little warmed milk. Transfer to your pre-heated oven and bake for 60-90 minutes. After 20 minutes reduce the oven temperature to 160C (140C fan/320F).

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.