Seed Cake recipe?

PoshPaws_3

Does anyone have a recipe for a good old-fashioned Seed Cake, using Caraway Seeds?

I've seen recipes using sesame and/or poppy, but I remember having Caraway seed cake in the past - and for some reason I've got a hankering for it again.

If I could find my Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, I guess it might be in there - but such is my lack of household management, I can't find it at the moment! :laugh:

skipton

I just make a victoria sponge ......4oz SR flour, sugar, margarine and 2 eggs.
Then add about 2oz raisins and carraway seeds to suit. You can shake a few seeds on top for extra flavour.
You 've got me thinking of making some now. This mix can be made into buns as well as cake.
Enjoy!

msmicawber

Here goes (I haven't tried this one yet because I've got a fan oven and don't find it any good for cakes):

10oz flour
pinch of sale
1 tsp aking powder
4 oz margarine or butter
1 oz caraway seeds
6 oz sugar
1 large or 2 small eggs
4 tblspns water (approx.)

1. Sieve flour, salt & baking powder.
2. Rub in fat.
3. Add caraway seeds and sugar.
4. Add beaten eggs.
5. Add sufficient water to make soft dropping consistency.
6. Put into a greased 6" tin.
7. Bake for about 1.5-2 hours until golden brown and well risen at 180C.

Let me know what it's like.

PoshPaws_3

Thankyou, both!

I'm not sure about baking for 1.5-2hrs, msmicawber! I'm not sure I can afford to use that much electricity just for one cake .. but if I can weave it into other baking, then I'll definitely have a go at that one too.

msmicawber

I had to read the recipe twice to be sure! Maybe that's why we don't see it any more - not enough people have Agas and Raeburns.

Smashing

Oh dear, I read the title as 'speed cake.'

That's not why I clicked on it though, of course...;)

PoshPaws_3

msmicawber wrote:

I had to read the recipe twice to be sure! Maybe that's why we don't see it any more - not enough people have Agas and Raeburns.

Oh yes, of course! That sort of length of time would be relatively easy to achieve if the good old Aga is already chuckling away. Don't think my hubby would quite go for the idea of installing one just to be able to cook Seed Cake, though! :laugh: Also, if we put an Aga in our kitchen, everything else would have to come out, its that small!!

I think I'll give the "variation on a Victoria sponge" version a go first - and see if it tastes how I remember Seed Cake should!

whistler-alison

I've not tried this, but it is in one of my books - they are called Wig Cakes.

450g flour
170g milk
15g yeast
125g caster sugar
125g butter
2-3 teaspoons of caraway seeds
0.5 tsp ground ginger
0.5 tsp mixed spice

The instructions are quite long, but to cut a long story short:

Disolve the yeast in warm milk and mix everything togther. Cover the dough and leave to rise for two hours. Knock the dough back and divide into two portions. Pat into rounds and put into to 7-8 inch sponge tins. leave to rise again for 20 mins. Bake in preheated oven 190-205c or gas 5 or 6 for 15 mins. The yeast used is fresh, so you will probably use either half the amount of dried dissolved in the milk until it is frothy or a sachet of the easy bake stuff straight into the flour mixture.

sarahs999

I made one at the weekend which was fab. It was from Nigella, Domestic GOddess, and is just her maderia cake with a teaspoon of caraway seeds. Makes a perfect traditional seed cake.

240g butter
240g plus 2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 large eggs
210g and a half cups self-rising cake flour
90g all-purpose flour
1 tsp caraway seeds
small loaf pan

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter your loaf pan. Cream the butter and sugar, and add the lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of the flour (the two kinds mixed together) for each. Then gently mix the rest of the flour and, finally, the lemon juice and seeds.

Sprinkle with sugar (about 2 tablespoons should do it) as it goes into the oven, and bake for 1 hour or until a cake-tester comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool in the pan before turning out.

It was delicious, my husband couldn't stop eating it...

PoshPaws_3

Alison, those little buns sound lovely! I shall give them a go, thankyou.

Sarah, many thanks for the Nigella recipe - it sounds the closest one yet to how I remember a Seed Cake both looking and tasting! How bizarre are the measurements, though! "240g plus 2tbs sugar" .... :laugh:

sarahs999

EEEK! I just looked it up again and it should be 200g sugar with extra for sprinkling. No idea where the other bits got in there - hope you haven't made it yet... hideous sugar rush??! :eek: