Soul Cake

I found a Soul Cake Bake project online and while the actual project had closed by the time I found it, I thought it would be fun to try to construct my own recipe using the same 17th Century Soul Cake recipe the project used as the jumping off point for their competition.

It took me four tries to come up with a recipe that was both edible and tasty. I tried to stay as close as possible to the original recipe but did decide to use modern yeast instead of trying to source Ale Barm. From what I read Ale Barm was used as yeast to make bread and other risen doughs.

For each of my test versions I made half a recipe, so as not to waste too much of my ingredients.

The first version I made, I did not knead or prove and I put the wine (sack) straight in-- thinking they might be more like cakes. However those turned out like golf balls, with a doughy middle and dried out, but not really cooked exterior. The flavor seemed promising but tasted very strongly of raw alcohol and since I don't drink, was not very nice.

The second version, I heated the wine to help cook off some of the alcohol taste and I kneaded the dough briefly before letting it prove for about an hour and a half. Then I formed it into balls, cutting a cross in the top of each one before baking. The flavor of these was much better but the texture was still to dense and doughy.

For the third version, I decided to add the spices to the wine while I was heating it, to give a bit more depth to the flavor. I also kneaded it for longer and let it prove for about an hour (it doesn't really grow the same way bread dough does but an hour seems to be about right for it). After the first prove,  I divided the dough in to 4 pieces and added a different dried fruit to each piece (dried apples, currants, blueberries, and cranberries). I then divided each piece into 3 smaller balls, put dried fruit in the shape of a cross on each bun (so I would know which ones had which fruits), let them prove for about 20 minutes and then baked them. This batch was quite yummy.

For the fourth try I doubled the recipe and used just the currants as my fruit as I found that the other fruits didn't taste as good or tended to overwhelm the bun. The dough turned out much more wet that test 3 and while the resulting buns were edible the weren't as good as round 3.

For the fifth and final round I took some of the water out and that fixed the problem.  I baked a batch for a party and folks really seemed to like them.

Here is the original 17th C recipe followed by my final recipe.

Original Recipe
Take flower & sugar & nutmeg, & cloves & mace & sweet butter & sack & a little ale barm, beat your spice & put in your butter & your sack, cold, then work it well all to gether & make it in little cakes & so bake them, if you will … you may put some saffron into them or fruit (Elinor Fettiplace’s Household Book, compiled around 1604)


My Final Recipe

90g brown sugar
40g unsalted butter

400g plain flour

10g fast-acting yeast
50ml warm water

150ml Maderia wine
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp mace

80g currants or other dried fruit

Method

Note; you want the wine mixture cooled and most of the dough ready before you mix the yeast mixture. If you start the yeast mixture too early it will use up some of its rising power before it gets into the dough an if you don't let the wine mixture cool it could kill the yeast. It's a bit of a balancing act with the timing.

Put the wine and spices in a saucepan and bring to a boil then set aside to cool. It should be below 90F before it is mixed into the dough. If needed, put it in the refrigerator to cool.

Cream the butter and 85g of the sugar together.

Mix 5g of the sugar in the warm water (between 80-90F) and add the yeast. Let the yeast solution sit until it starts to foam. Don't start the yeast solution early.

Mix the flour into the butter/sugar mixture.

Add the spiced wine to the flour/butter/sugar mixture and stir until just combined.

Add the yeast mixture in last, stir until well mixed, then knead until the dough starts to become elastic.

Prove the dough for about an hour. It won't rise a lot but it does need this resting time.

If you are using a dried fruit other than currants, make sure to cut them up into currant sized pieces.

Knead the currants into the dough and form into 16 balls. Put five currants on the top of each ball in the shape of a cross and flatten the balls into 2cm high discs. They will spring back a bit.

Preheat the oven to 350F

Leave the cakes to rest/prove for 20-30 minutes

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and they sound hollow when their base is tapped.


Inspired by: Soul Cake Bake

Test 3 of my Soul Cake recipe with the four different fruits used.
(from R-L Cinnamon-Apple, blueberry, currant, cranberry)

Cream Cheese Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

I used the Carrot Orange and Spice Cake recipe as the basis for these Pumpkin Cheese Cake muffins.

Ingredients

11-12 muffin cups

100g unsalted butter
110g light brown muscovado sugar
2 large free-range eggs
¼ tsp orange extract

180g all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground nutmeg

160g pumpkin puree
50 ml juice from an orange
optional 80g walnuts, chopped

Cream Cheese Mixture
4oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp powdered sugar (or to taste)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/360F/Gas 4. Line the muffin tins.

Cream Cheese Mixture:
Make the cream cheese mixture by whipping together the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Set aside until the muffin batter is ready.

For the Muffin Batter:
Melt the butter in a saucepan then whisk in the sugar, eggs and orange oil until smooth and well combined.

Add the zest of one orange to the pumpkin puree. If using nuts, add them here.

Sift the flour, baking soda and ground spices into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the salt and baking powder.

Fold the butter mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the pumpkin mixture.

Scoop the mixture into the muffin tins. Fill each cup ¾ full. Place about ½-1 Tbsp of the cream cheese mixture in the top center of the muffin batter.

Bake for 18-22 minutes

Leave to cool in the pans for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Don't let them fully cool in the tins or the bottom of the muffins might be soggy.

Savory Pumpkin Carrot and Orange Spice Cake

This is a savory variation of Carrot, Orange, and Spice Cake that I came up with when I had some leftover pumpkin puree. This recipe makes enough batter for two - 9 inch round cake pans.

Ingredients

• 1 - 15 oz/425g can of pumpkin puree
• 100 g walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 100 g  grated carrots
• 1 orange, zest and juice only (about 75ml juice)
• 20 g molasses 
• 1 Tbsp Grand Marnier
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 340 g all purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 200 g unsalted butter
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 20 g brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/360F/Gas 4. Line the base of two round 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.

Grate the carrots, zest and juice one orange and add the juice and zest of one orange. 

Combine the can of pumpkin puree, nuts, grated carrots, zest and juice of the orange, molasses, Grand Marnier, orange extract, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg and mix thoroughly. 

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl.

Melt the butter in a saucepan then whisk in the sugar, and eggs until smooth and well combined.

Add the butter mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until combined.

Add the flour mixture in and stir until the flour is well mixed in.

Pour the combined mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 50 - 70 minutes, or until a skewer or knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle (check after 40 minutes and cover the top of the cake if the cake is browning too fast).

Leave to cool in the pan for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before eating. This is a pretty moist cake so it is important to cool it completely as it on a wire rack to let it finish cooking as it cools.

Savory Pumpkin, Carrot, Orange, Spice Cake

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients (makes 1 9-inch pie)

• ½ cup brown sugar 
• ½ t. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 1 Tbsp. molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cans (15 oz.) pumpkin
• 1 cans (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shells

Instructions

Blind bake the pie shells at 350° F for 15-20 minutes until dough goes from translucent to opaque but before it browns. Protect the rim of the crust during the blind bake. Set aside to cool while mixing the filling.

Mix the dry ingredients: sugar, salt, and spices in a small bowl together until well combined. 

Beat the eggs in a mixer.

Add pumpkin, molasses, and sugar/spice mixture to the eggs and mix until well combined

Slowly add the evaporated milk until the mix is a uniform color.

Fill the crusts to the brim. Protect the edge of the crusts. Bake at 425° F for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350° F and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes. Take the crust protector off near the end of the bake.

Cool on wire rack for 2 hours, then serve immediately or refrigerate.

Carrot, Orange, and Spice Cake

Ingredients

• 200g/7oz unsalted butter
• 280g/10oz light brown muscovado sugar
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 1 tsp Grand Marnier
• 320g/11¼oz all purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 320g/11¼oz grated carrots
• optional 170g/6oz pecan nuts, toasted and chopped
• 1 orange, zest and juice only
• powdered sugar 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/360F/Gas 4. Grease and line the base of two 9in cake pans.

Grate the carrots and add the juice and zest of one orange. If using nuts, add them here.

Melt the butter in a saucepan then whisk in the sugar, eggs and orange oil until smooth and well combined.

Sift the flour, baking soda and ground spices into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the salt and baking powder.

Fold the butter mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the carrot mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tins and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle (check after 40 minutes and cover the top of the cake if the cake is browning too fast).

Leave to cool in the pans for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Finish with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top of the cakes and enjoy.

Inspired by:
Ian's Colossal Carrot Cake