To make Mrs. Shellyes Cake is a traditional Stuart recipe for a classic rich yeasted cake flavoured with almond paste and plenty of dried fruit. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Stuart version of: To make Mrs. Shellyes Cake.
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Original Recipe
To make Mrs. Shellyes Cake (from W.M.'s Compleat Cook 1658)
To make Mrs. Shellyes Cake.
Take a peck of fine flower, and three pound of the best Butter, work your flower and butter very well together, then take ten Eggs, leave out six whites, a pint and a halfe of Ale-yeast: beat the Eggs and yeast together, and put them to the flower; take six pound of blanched Almonds, beat them very well, putting in sometime Rosewater to keepe them from Oyling; adde what spice you please; let this be put to the rest, with a quarter of a pint of Sack, and a little saffron; and when you have made all this into Past, cover it warme before the fire, and let it rise for halfe an hour, then put in twelve pound of Currans well washed and dryed, two pound of Raisins of the Sun stoned and cut small, one pound of Sugar; the sooner you put it into the Oven after the fruit is put in, the better.
Modern Redaction
In the old units of measurements (pre the 1832 standardization) a peck of flour was equivalent to 1 stone, or 14 lb (6.35kg) in weight. For modern cooks, this is far too large a weight to use comfortably, but you have to remember that Stuart-era cooks would bake in the bread oven and make enough for a whole week at the beginning of the week. However, I have reduced the quantities by 1/10 to make this more suitable for modern cooks.
500g cake flour
120g butter
1 egg
225g blanched almonds
1 tbsp rose water
1 packet active, dried, yeast
60ml ale or milk
nutmeg, mace or ginger and cinnamon (or a mix), to taste (about 1 tsp in all)
1 tbsp sack
pinch of saffron
warm water to bind
430g currants
70g sultanas, chopped
35g caster sugar
Method:
Sift the flour into a bowl, add the diced butter and rub in with your fingertips. Add the almonds to a mortar and pound to a paste, adding a little of the rose water every now and then to prevent the almonds from oiling. When the almonds are smooth work into the flour mix. Scatter over the yeast and mix to combine then add the egg, rose water and ale or milk an sack.
Stir to combine then add the spice and saffron. Bring the mixture together, adding enough water to give you a soft dough. Knead for a few minutes, cover the bowl and set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.
After this time, knock the dough back and work in the currants, sultanas and sugar. Knead well then divide between two loaf tins. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C an bake for about 40 minutes, or until well risen, golden brown on top and cooked through.
Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool.
