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Elinor Fettiplace’s Cakes

To make cakes

Take flower & sugar & nutmeg & cloves & mace & sweet butter & sack & a little ale barme, beat your spice, & put in your butter & your sack, cold, then work it well all together, & make it in little cakes, & so bake them, if you will you may put in some saffron into them and fruit.

ELINOR FETTIPLACE'S RECEIPT BOOK

Original Source:
Geographical Context: ,
Era: ,
Difficulty: Intermediate
Description

The word "cake" has a convoluted history, and at the time when this recipe was written, it could indicate anything from shortbread to a risen dough. Reading this recipe for the first time, as a Pastry Chef it immediately reads to me as an enriched dough like a sweet bun, and that is what I have done with it. Hilary Spurling agrees with me, and provides a similar recipe in her book. I further contrast this with the recipe from The Good Housewife's Jewel that indicates similar ingredients, but gives very specific directions that clearly result in a shortbread. I believe that if Elinor Fettiplace had intended a shortbread, she would have gone to the effort to explain that. Likewise, both of Elinor's cake recipes call for a fair quantity of liquid - something that is not compatible with shortbread. Elinor's recipe indicates fruit or Saffron. I chose common raisins, plumped in hot water, but you could use anything you like. If you're a fan of Saffron, do that instead - but I am not.

Ingredients
  • 1 lb Flour
  • 2 oz Sugar
  • 1 cup Ale
  • 1/4 oz Active Dry Yeast
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 oz Sherry
  • 4 oz Butter
  • 4 oz Raisins
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp Mace
  • 1/4 tsp Cloves
Instructions
  1. 1
    Rinse the Raisins and plump in warm water
    2. Prepare the Dough
  2. 2
    Warm the Ale to body temperature, and combine with the Yeast and a pinch of the Sugar.
  3. 3
    In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the Flour, remaining Sugar, and Salt
  4. 4
    After the Yeast has proven in the Ale, add the mixture to the bowl and combine well.
  5. 5
    Knead the dough until it is uniformly hydrated, then rest, covered, for 30 minutes
  6. 6
    Add the Sherry, then knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test.
    7. Enrich the Dough
  7. 7
    Add the Butter while kneading, little by little, and knead until it is smooth
  8. 8
    Drain the Raisins and add to the bowl.
  9. 9
    Knead the Raisins into the dough, just until incorporated
  10. 10
    All the dough to rise at room temperature, covered, until it no longer springs back when a floured finger is pressed into it
    11. Shape and Bake
  11. 11
    Form the dough into 50g balls and shape them by rounding on an unfloured work surface
  12. 12
    Place 12 rolls on each baking sheet, and allow them to proof, covered, until doubled in size - this may take several hours
  13. 13
    Preheat a convection oven to 375°F (400°F if not a convection oven)
  14. 14
    Brush with milk
  15. 15
    Score each bun in a small cross shape
  16. 16
    Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown, turning halfway through
Read it online: https://scandalouskitchen.com/recipe/soul-cakes/