Plum-cake Recipe

First in place,

_Plum-cake_ is seen o'er smaller pastry ware,

And ice on that.

SWIFT.

Pick two pounds of currants very clean, and wash them, draining them

through a cullender. Wipe them in a towel, spread them out in a large

dish, and set them near the fire or in the hot sun to dry, placing the

dish in a slanting position. Having stoned two pounds of best raisins,

cut them in half, and when all are done, sprinkle them well with sifted

flour, to prevent their sinking to the bottom of the cake. When the

currants are dry, sprinkle them also with flour.

Pound the spice, two tablespoonfuls of cinnamon, two nutmegs, powdered;

sift and mix the cinnamon and nutmeg together. Mix also a large glass of

wine and brandy, half a glass of rose-water in a tumbler or cup. Cut a

pound of citron in slips; sift a pound of flour in a broad dish, sift a

pound of powdered white sugar into a deep earthen pan, and cut a pound

of butter into it. Warm it near the fire, if the weather is too cold for

it to mix easily. Stir the butter and sugar to a cream; beat twelve

eggs as light as possible; stir them into the butter and sugar

alternately with the flour; stir very hard; add gradually the spice and

liquor. Stir the raisins and currants alternately in the mixture, taking

care that they are well floured. Stir the whole as hard as possible, for

ten minutes after the ingredients are in.

Cover the bottom and sides of a large tin or earthen pan with sheets of

white paper well buttered, and put into it some of the mixture. Then

spread some citron on it, which must not be cut too small; next put a

layer of the mixture, and then a layer of citron, and so on till all is

in, having a layer of mixture at the top.

This cake will require four or five hours baking, in proportion to its

thickness.

Ice it next day.