JAMS & CAKES - 2009

Recipes


Kind sponsors of our Cakes section

CLASS 85- Shamrock Boiled Fruit Cake

Ingredients: 16oz / 450g Shamrock Plain Flour 6 oz / 170g Shamrock Dark Muscovado Sugar 4 oz / 120g Shamrock Mixed Peel 6 oz / 170g Shamrock Sultanas 3 oz / 75g margarine 10fl oz / 300ml water ½ teaspoon mixed spice  ½ teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon Shamrock Bread Soda 2 teaspoons of vinegar Preparation: Preheat oven 170°C / 325°F / Gas mark 3. Method: Mix the sultanas, mixed peel (chop finely), sugar and margarine into a saucepan with the water, mixed spice and ground cloves.  Stir and bring to the boil over a medium heat.   When the sugar is dissolved and the margarine is melted, allow the saucepan to boil up gently for five minutes. Set aside and allow to cool until the mixture is just warm. At this stage stir in the flour.   (There is no need to turn the mixture into a bowl as the saucepan in which the fruit has been cooked can be used and save cleaning up). When this is well mixed, stir in the vinegar and lastly the bread soda dissolved in a dessert spoon of warm water.   Stir well but gently, to mix all the ingredients together.  Turn into a lined 9" tin.  To cook: Bake for 1½ - 1¾ hours or until a clean metal skewer or knitting needle when inserted into the centre comes out dry and clean. Leave the cake in the tin for at least five minutes to settle and then turn out.   To serve: Store for a week or so if possible before cutting. The advantage of this cake over other cakes is it saves on baking time because the fruit is partially cooked in the saucepan before you mix in the flour. Additonal Info: You can make this recipe to a larger quantity, half as much again using a 10” to 11” tin. If so allow a further 25 minutes baking time and test before you take it from the oven by testing in the usual way. When making the larger size be sure to measure the water allowance accurately.

CLASS 88 - Shamrock Fruit Loaf

Ingredients: (Imperial/Metric) 4oz/125g Margarine(at room temperature) 4oz/125g Shamrock Caster Sugar 2 Eggs Large 8oz/225g Shamrock Self Raising Flour & 1 level teaspoon mixed spice mixed together 1oz/25g Cherries & 10oz/275g Shamrock mixed dried fruit, 5 tablespoons Milk Decoration: 8 Walnut Halves or 8 whole Almonds (skinned), 3 Cherries cut in half Oven Temp:  Preheat to Gas Mark 3, Elec 325 F, 160 C.  Shelf:  Middle Size of Tin:      2LB/900g loaf Tin All-In-One-Method 1. Brush the tin with Melted margarine and place a strip or a circle of greaseproof paper on the bottom 2. Place all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed (2-3 minutes) 3. Place the mixture in the prepared tin and smooth the top 4. Arrange the walnut halves or whole almonds and the half Cherries on the top. 5. Bake in the pre-heated oven on the middle shelf for 1 ½ - 1 ¾ hours. 6. Test (see below) and remove from the oven when baked. 7. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out, remove the paper and cool on a wire tray. Store in an airtight tin. To Test the Shamrock Harvest Fruit Loaf Press the top of the Cake lightly with the fingers- it should feel firm.  Thrust a clean, warm skewer into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean, with no uncooked mixture clinging to it, the cake is ready.

CLASS 89 - The Great Cherry Cake Competition.

RECIPE: 12 ozs. flour, 8 ozs. margarine, 8 ozs castor sugar, 6 ozs cherries, 3 large eggs or 4 small, half teaspoon of baking powder. Method: Cut cherries in four cream margarine and sugar Add eggs and flour alternatively Add cherries Bbake 325F, 160C, Gas Mark 3, for one and a half hours approx. in 8” cake tin. Recipe must be strictly adhered to.