Farmhouse Fruit Cake (Anglesey Cake)

 

 

I love cake. I do not think that there are many cakes that I have met that I don't like.  I am just a cake afficionado. I am also a lover of plain cakes. It doesn't have to be very fancy in order to bring me immense pleasure.

This Farmhouse Fruit cake is also known as Anglesey Cake. Anglesey is a large island just off the coast of North Western Wales.  It is separated from mainland Wales by the Menai Strait and is known to be the largest Island in England and Wales.

For a great deal of my time in the U.K. I lived in the city of Chester, which was known as the gateway to Wales.  I travelled a lot in Wales and my church was situated in Wales.

 

It is a country of immense beauty with beautiful mountains and valleys and streams.  Anglesey is a place that I had always wanted to visit, but alas I never got there. It is known for its ancient history and prehistoric and Celtic remains. 

This cake recipe I am sharing with you today comes from a small book that I have called Welsh Teatime Recipes.  Baking lies at the heart of traditional Welsh Cooking, and what better time to enjoy a bit of baking than Tea Time!

 

This is what is known as a Farmhouse Fruit Cake. This means that it is more likely to be a cake that will be enjoyed for everyday tea rather than a special occasion. It is also a very economical kind of a fruit cake in that it doesn't require an over abundance of dried fruits. 

There are no dried cherries or peel in it. Just sultana raisins and dried currants.  Its a simple cake, both to make and in appearance.  But don't let its plain Jane appearance fool you into thinking that it is not a great cake. This cake is anything but plain Jane when it comes to flavor.

This is the perfect tea time cake. I highly recommend. Its a delicious keeper as well as being one of those cakes that seems to improve with each day that passes.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE FARMHOUSE FRUIT CAKE (ANGLESEY CAKE)

Just simple every day baking ingredients.  There is nothing out of the ordinary here.   

• 1/2 cup (115g) butter
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 1 large free range egg, beaten
• 2 cups (227g) self rising flour (see notes)
• pinch salt
• 3/4 cup (113g) dried currants
• 3/4 cup (113g) sultana raisins
• scant 1/2 cup (110ml) whole milk

 

 

I used plain salted butter. I don't see the need to keep both salted and unsalted butter in my kitchen. If you buy a quality butter to begin with you will find it is not overly salted anyways and if you are concerned you can always cut back on the salt in any given recipe.

I used caster sugar, which is a finer quality of granulated sugar. You could use fruit sugar in it's place, or even regular granulated sugar. Caster sugar is known to melt into batters more evenly. You can also blitz regular granulated sugar in a food processor for a couple turns to make it finer.

I used regular dried currants and sultanas. If you don't have currants you could use more sultana raisins, although it won't be entirely authentic then. Also subbing with dried cranberries, blueberries, etc. takes away from the authenticity of this recipe if an authentic Anglesey cake is what you are wanting.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SELF RISING FLOUR

You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.  So 1 cup flour (140g) add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.  2 cups (280g) add 3 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt, and so on.  

I usually make this up two or three cups at a time. Store in an airtight container in a dark place.  I never have any problem using it all up. Most British cakes and bakes require self rising flour.

 

HOW TO MAKE A FARMHOUSE FRUIT CAKE (ANGLESEY CAKE)

This is a very simple cake to make. You will need a six inch round deep cake tin.  You can find the ones I used here. I use mine all the time. It is perfect for small batch cake recipes.

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a six-inch round cake tin really well and line with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.

Sift the flour and salt together. Stir in the dried fruit, combining well together.

Fold the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until combined and then stir in enough milk to give you a soft dropping consistency.

 

Spoon into the prepared pan and level off.

Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, covering the top with aluminum foil if the top appears to be browning too quickly. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before tipping out to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. This will keep very well for a week or longer. (Wrap up tightly and store in an airtight container.)

 

This was an exceptionally good cake. Nice and buttery with lots of currants and raisins. It  is the perfect cake to enjoy with a hot drink. I think it would also be lovely to take on picnics and such.  (Picnic season is just around the corner.)

Its a sturdy cake, and I suspect one of those cakes which improves even more upon standing.  I have not frozen it, so I cannot say if it will free well or not.  I have seen other versions which add dark treacle and spices.   I think I prefer it just plain as is.

I love simple cakes most of all. I am not a person to go all gaga over a fancy cake if there is something simple also on offer.  I think that is because I am not always enthralled with icing on a cake.  I love a good sturdy cake that can be enjoyed with a hot cup of tea most of all. Here are a couple more of my favorites that you might also enjoy!

RASPBERRY YOGURT CAKE - I love cakes which are made with sour cream and yogurt.  Adding sour cream or yogurt add moisture and makes for a lovely tender crumb.  This  is a beautiful cake, with a lovely moist crumb.  Its light in texture and filled with pockets of sweet tart raspberries. This one is a real favorite teatime cake.

TRADITIONAL SEED CAKE - Seed cake is actually a very traditional cake which goes way back in British history.  It was very popular in Victorian times, and a good seed cake recipe would have been included in most cookery books of that era.It has a texture very similar to a pound cake and is studded with caraway seeds. It was said to be William Wordsworth's sister Dorothy's favorite cake. All I can say is, she had exceptionally good taste.

Yield: one deep 6-inch cake

Author: Marie Rayner

Farmhouse Fruit Cake (Anglesey Cake)

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

A Welsh teatime cake that is delicious. It is a light and economical farmhouse style of fruit cake. You will need a six-inch round cake tin.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (115g) butter
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 1 large free range egg, beaten
• 2 cups (227g) self rising flour (see notes)
• pinch salt
• 3/4 cup (113g) dried currants
• 3/4 cup (113g) sultana raisins
• scant 1/2 cup (110ml) whole milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a six-inch round cake tin really well and line with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
3. Sift the flour and salt together. Stir in the dried fruit, combining well together.
4. Fold the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until combined and then stir in enough milk to give you a soft dropping consistency.
5. Spoon into the prepared pan and level off.
6. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, covering the top with aluminum foil if the top appears to be browning too quickly. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before tipping out to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. This will keep very well for a week or longer.

Notes

Make Your Own Self Raising Flour:

You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.

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