Easter Cake No. 2
A rich, brioche-style Easter cake infused with the warmth of mace, nutmeg, and ginger, and studded with sweet candied orange peel. This traditional Parsi recipe creates a golden, tender crumb using a yeast-leavened dough enriched with butter and eggs, resulting in a texture somewhere between a cake and a sweet bread. Finished with a sweet sugar glaze, it serves as a sophisticated and comforting festive centerpiece perfect for tea time.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds All-purpose flour (Originally 'Mill's No. 1 Wheat Flour'.)
- 1/2 pound Butter (Originally '0.5 seer' (approx 1/2 lb in this context). Plus extra for greasing.)
- 1 tablespoon Active dry yeast (Originally '0.5 lb fresh hops yeast' (liquid barm). Substituted with dry yeast.)
- 1 cup Warm water (Added to replace the liquid volume of the original hops yeast.)
- 1/4 pound Granulated sugar (Approx 1/2 cup.)
- 1/4 pound Candied orange peel (Finely chopped.)
- 1/2 cup Whole milk (Originally '1 pasher' (approx 1/2 cup).)
- 1 blade Mace (Or 1 teaspoon ground mace.)
- 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg (Powdered.)
- 1 tablespoon Dry ginger powder (Sunth) (Heaping spoonful.)
- 4 whole Eggs
- 1 cup Confectioners' sugar (For the icing (quantity estimated).)
- 2 tablespoons Lemon juice or water (For the icing (quantity estimated).)
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Instructions
- 1Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the mace. Heat gently over medium heat until the milk is hot and the flavor of the mace has infused. Remove from heat, strain the milk to remove the mace blade, and let it cool to lukewarm.
- 2Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix the lukewarm infused milk with the sugar, beaten eggs, and melted butter.
- 3In a large mixing bowl or platter, combine the flour, nutmeg, ginger powder, and candied orange peel. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture and the milk-egg mixture. Mix thoroughly to form a soft dough.
- 4Place the dough in a greased vessel, cover it, and place it in a warm spot (near a stove or warm oven) to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
- 5Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously butter a cake mold. Once the dough has risen, transfer it into the prepared mold. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
- 6Mix confectioners' sugar with enough lemon juice or water to create a spreadable icing. Spread over the cake while it is still slightly warm.
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