Bride Cake Recipe

The bridal came; great the feast,

And good the _bride cake_ and the priest.

SMART.

Take four pounds of fresh butter, two pounds of loaf sugar, pounded and

sifted fine, a quarter of an ounce of mace and the same quantity of

nutmegs; to every pound of flour put eight eggs; wash and pick four

pounds of currants, and dry them before the fire; blanch a pound of

sweet almonds, and cut them lengthways very thin, a pound of citron, a

pound of candied orange, a pound of candied lemon, and half pint of

brandy; first work the butter to a cream; then beat in your sugar a

quarter of an hour; beat the white of your eggs to a very strong froth;

mix them with your sugar and butter; beat the yolks half an hour at

least, and mix them with your cake; then put in your flour, mace, and

nutmeg; keep beating it till your oven is ready; put in your brandy;

beat the currants and almonds lightly in; tie three sheets of paper

round the bottoms of your hoops, to keep it from running out; rub it

well with butter; put in your cake and the sweetmeats in three layers,

with cake between every layer; after it is risen and colored, cover it

with paper.

It takes three hours baking.