Rich Bride or Christening Cake

Ingredients

• 5 lb the finest flour
• 3 lb fresh butter
• 5 lb currants
• 2 lb sifted loaf sugar
• 2 nutmegs
• 1/4 oz mace
• half 1/4 oz. of cloves
• 16 eggs
• 1 lb sweet almonds
• 1/2 lb candied citron
• 1/2 lb each of candied orange and lemon peel
• 1 gill wine
• 1 gill brandy

Instructions

1. Let the flour be as fine as possible, and well dried and sifted; the currants washed, picked, and dried before the fire; the sugar well pounded and sifted; the nutmegs grated, the spices pounded; the eggs thoroughly whisked, whites and yolks separately; the almonds pounded with a little orange-flower water, and the candied peel cut in neat slices.
2. When all these ingredients are prepared, mix them in the following manner.
3. Begin working the butter with the hand till it becomes of a cream-like consistency;
4. stir in the sugar, and when the whites of the eggs are whisked to a solid froth, mix them with the butter and sugar;
5. next, well beat up the yolks for 10 minutes, and, adding them to the flour, nutmegs, mace, and cloves, continue beating the whole together for 1/2 hour or longer, till wanted for the oven.
6. Then mix in lightly the currants, almonds, and candied peel with the wine and brandy; and having lined a hoop with buttered paper, fill it with the mixture, and bake the cake in a tolerably quick oven, taking care, however, not to burn it: to prevent this, the top of it may be covered with a sheet of paper.
7. To ascertain whether the cake is done, plunge a clean knife into the middle of it, withdraw it directly, and if the blade is not sticky, and looks bright, the cake is sufficiently baked.
8. These cakes are usually spread with a thick layer of almond icing, and over that another layer of sugar icing, and afterwards ornamented.
9. In baking a large cake like this, great attention must be paid to the heat of the oven; it should not be too fierce, but have a good soaking heat.