Martha Washington's Cake recipe

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Ingredients

2 ¾ cups golden raisins
2 cups dried currants
1 cup orange zest
6 ounces candied lemon peel
¾ cup chopped candied citron
⅓ cup candied angelica
⅓ cup red candied cherries
⅓ cup green candied cherries
½ cup brandy
4 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground mace
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
10 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup sherry
1 cup sherry

Nutrition Info

84.3 calories
carbohydrate: 13 g
cholesterol: 20.3 mg
fat: 3.1 g
fiber: 0.6 g
protein: 1.1 g
saturatedFat: 1.8 g
servingSize: -
sodium: 43.2 mg
sugar: 7.3 g
transFat: : -
unsaturatedFat: : -

Directions

  1. Place raisins and currants in a bowl, and add enough water to just cover them. Soak overnight.

  2. Chop orange and lemon peel quite fine, do the same with the citron, angelica, and both types of cherries. Pour 1/2 cup brandy over fruit, and allow to stand overnight.

  3. Sift together flour, mace, and nutmeg.

  4. Beat egg yolks until thick and light, then beat in 1 cup of sugar a little at a time. Stir in lemon juice. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

  5. In a large bowl, cream the butter, and then add 1 cup sugar a little at a time, beat until smooth. Combine yolk mixture with creamed mixture. Add flour and 1/3 cup sherry alternately to the creamed mixture. Stir in all the fruit, and fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour batter into a well greased and floured 10 inch mold or tube pan. This cake can also be made in 2 large loaf pans.

  6. Place a pan of hot water in the bottom of a preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven. Place cake pans in oven, and bake about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), continue baking 100 minutes for large cake, or 40 minutes for loaf cakes. Cakes are done when a toothpick comes out dry. Turn cake(s) out on rack to cool.

  7. Wrap cake(s) in cheesecloth soaked in sherry, and store in airtight container for a month or more. If the cheesecloth dries out in the mellowing period soak it again with the same spirits, and rewrap the cake.

Recipe Yield

10 inch tube cake

Recipe Note

This is a long procedure, but well worth the trouble. A great cake. Makes about 11 pounds.

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