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Good Holiday Cake

\"\" 84 \"\"
Recipe Score
Heritage Classic

Good Holiday Cake

4.7 ✍️ Editor
★★★★★ 5.0 ⭐ Readers (1)
(1 reader reviews)
License
Public Domain
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📝 Description

\"\" 84 \"\"
Recipe Score · Heritage Classic
⏱ Time
2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours

🥘 Ingredients

1-1/2d. worth of Borwick's German baking-powder, 2 lbs. of flour, 6 oz. of butter, 1/4 lb. of lard, 1 lb. of currants, 1/2 lb. of stoned and cut raisins, 1/4 lb. of mixed candied peel, 1/2 lb. of moist sugar, 3 eggs, 3/4 pint of cold milk.

👨‍🍳 Method

Mix the baking-powder with the flour; then rub in the butter and lard; have ready the currants, washed, picked, and dried the raisins stoned and cut into small pieces (not chopped), and the peel cut into neat slices. Add these with the sugar to the flour, &c., and mix all the dry ingredients well together. Whisk the eggs, stir to them the milk, and with this liquid moisten the cake; beat it up well, that all may be very thoroughly mixed; line a cake-tin with buttered paper, put in the cake, and bake it from 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours in a good oven. To ascertain when it is done, plunge a clean knife into the middle of it, and if, on withdrawing it, the knife looks clean, and not sticky, the cake is done. To prevent its burning at the top, a piece of clean paper may be put over whilst the cake is soaking, or being thoroughly cooked in the middle. A steamer, such as is used for steaming potatoes, makes a very good cake-tin, if it be lined at the bottom and sides with buttered paper.

📜 From Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1861). Public domain.

⭐ Reader Reviews

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Recipe Score
84
out of 95
✍️ Editor Rating
4.7
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⭐ Reader Rating
5.0
1 review
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M
Marcus — Kitchen Historian
★★★★★ 2026-05-08
Simple, sustaining, and surprisingly modern

I tried this Good Holiday Cake this week, eager to experience a Victorian treat. I found the process delightfully straightforward, with a charming simplicity that's rare in modern baking. The most surprising element was the use of lard alongside butter—an old-fashioned touch that I worried might make the cake heavy. However, it contributed a tender crumb that balanced beautifully with the fruity bursts from the currants and raisins. This cake is a perfect fit for the modern weeknight cook looking to impress with minimal fuss. The long baking time is ideal for slow Sunday afternoons, filling the house with a warm, comforting aroma. I ended up with a moist, fruity loaf that was far more impressive than I expected. The trick with the knife to check for doneness was spot-on—no more undercooked or burnt cakes. I'll be making this again, perhaps with a dusting of powdered sugar for a touch of elegance.

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