This wonderfully simple cake is a Sri Lankan delicacy made with love at birthdays or special occasions. A legacy from the Portuguese rule in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), this cake is a great combination of dried fruit, nuts and spices. Please check for allergies and adjust recipe if necessary.
Ingredients:
150 g unsalted butter 350 g caster sugar 6 medium eggs 3 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons rose water Grated zest of 1 orange Grated zest 1 lemon
200 g unsalted cashew nuts, chopped coarsely (optional) 250 g coarse semolina
50 g of glacé cherries [can be replaced with wine gums or jelly babies] 25 g of mixed peel 25 g of crystallised stem ginger (optional) Icing sugar to dust
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 150˚C/300˚F/gas mark 2 and line a 25 x 30 cm (10 x 12 in) cake tin with baking paper. 2. Dice 150g of unsalted butter and leave in a warm place to soften. 3. Once soft, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. 4. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat well. 5. Add honey, rose water, zest, nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon. Use a spatula to gently fold through.
6. Next fold through the cashew nuts, semolina, glacé cherries, mixed peel and crystallised ginger until combined. Do not over mix.
7. Turn into prepared tin and teacher, place in the oven and bake for 1 hour or until pale golden on top. The cake comes out best in a slow-cook process and should ideally feel chewy on top and moist in the middle. 8. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes. 9. Turn out of the tin, and when completely cool dust with icing sugar.