English Cake

Neuza Costa

9 June, 2023

This traditional cake, popular during the Christmas season, may not always be appreciated due to the crystallized fruits, so you can replace them with more nuts if you wish.
You can also replace the Port wine with brandy or rum, or if you prefer not to use alcohol, you can opt for milk.

Ingredients

• 125 g (4.4 oz) of crystallized fruits cut into small cubes
• 100 g (3.5 oz) of nuts of your choice broken into pieces
• 150 ml (2/3 cup) of Port wine
• Flour for dusting
• 180 g (6.3 oz) of brown sugar
• 120 g (4.2 oz) of slightly softened butter
• 4 eggs
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) of milk
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 280 g (9.9 oz) of type 55 wheat flour without baking powder
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• Powdered sugar for dusting
• 1 English cake mold 35 cm (13.8 inches) long, greased with butter and dusted with flour
• Crystallized fruits and nuts for decoration
• Quince jelly for brushing

Instructions

1. 1
   In a bowl, mix the crystallized fruits cut into pieces with the nuts.
   Add the Port wine and mix well.

   Mark as done
2. 2
   In a bowl, place the butter and brown sugar.
   Beat until you get a cream.
   While beating, break the eggs, separate the yolks from the whites, and add the yolks to the cream.
   Keep the egg whites in a bowl.
   Beat the cream until it becomes homogeneous.

   Mark as done
3. 3
   Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

   Mark as done
4. 4
   Add the lemon zest to the cream and drain the Port wine from the fruits using a colander.
   Stir with a spoon and also mix in the flour, baking powder, and milk.
   After everything is well mixed, fold in the egg whites.

   Mark as done
5. 5
   Place the fruits that were soaked in Port wine in a bowl and add approximately 3 tablespoons of flour.
   Stir well until they are fully floured.
   Carefully fold the floured fruits into the batter.

   Mark as done
6. 6
   Spread the batter in the mold.
   On top of the batter, spread the whole crystallized fruits and nuts to taste.

   Mark as done
7. 7
   Bake in a preheated oven at 160ºC (320ºF) and let it cook for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
   When the cake is well cooked, remove it from the oven.

   Mark as done
8. 8
   After unmolding, brush it with the jelly and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

   Mark as done

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