'Little Cakes'

Recipe From Mary Percivall's Recipe Book dated mid-eighteenth century.

What do cakes symbolise?

Round & circle shaped cakes symbolise the cyclical nature of life.

Note how even today, people traditionally serve cakes on special occasions: birthdays, weddings and anniversaries- the most significant times in the circle of life!

Before the modern day, people used cakes as an offering to certain gods and spirits who controlled particular times of the year or aspects of life.

MS.3828 Mary Percivall Recipe Book

Ingredients:

100g of Plain Flour

100g of Caster Sugar

100g of Unsalted Butter

1 tsp of Rose Water

2 Eggs

2 tsp of Orange Flavouring

100g of Currants

Equipment:

Mixing Bowl

8’’ Cake Tin

Wooden Spoon

Sieve

Prep Time: 15 minutes Serves: 4 Ability: Easy

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°c/Fan 180°c/Gas 5 and butter the cake tin and line with non-stick baking paper.
Soak butter in rose water and leave to the side to marinate
In a large mixing bowl, sift the plain flour and add the sugar and marinated butter until a cream.
Add both yolks of the two eggs and half the whites, and orange flavouring to the mixture and mix until a smooth paste
Add currants to the mixture and spoon into the greased cake tins. Smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
Bake for 30 minutes until the cake is golden brown or when the cake springs back when pressed.