Food & Drink / Reader Recipe: Dark, dense and pretty intense (CORRECTED)
CORRECTION (PUBLISHED 26 MARCH 1994) INCORPORATED INTO THIS ARTICLE
FOR THOSE who would like to try last week's saffron, olive oil and morello cherry cake, a colleague offered a useful tip. The dried morello cherries, from Middle Eastern delicatessens, may be replaced by American dried sour Montmorency cherries (pounds 1.49 for 3oz/85g at Waitrose).
This week's winning recipe, from Jo Anne Hill of Bristol, is for 'pepper cake'. There is no pepper in it, but enough treacle and spices for a powerful effect. Ms Hill describes it as 'very dark and dense'.
Pepper Cake
Serves 10
Ingredients: 1lb (450g) soft white organic stone-ground flour
2 level tsp ground ginger
1/2 level tsp ground cloves
2 level tsp ground coriander
2 level tsp caraway
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
12oz (340g) black treacle
2oz (55g) butter
2oz (55g) brown sugar
1oz (27g) candied peel
2oz (55g) sultanas
10fl oz (280ml) brown ale
Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F/180C/ gas 4. Grease a medium-sized loaf or cake tin, dust with flour and shake off excess. In a saucepan, melt butter, adding treacle. Heat gently until blended, then cool slightly. Sift together flour, sugar, ground spices, bicarb - twice - then mix in caraway seeds. Coat dried fruits in 3tbs of the flour mixture. Gradually add butter mixture to flour, alternating with ale, and finally adding the fruit. Using a rubber spatula, tip the batter into the baking tin, smooth the top, then bake for about one hour, or until a skewer poked in the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
This would be delicious with stewed fruit and creme fraiche.
Next week: more spiced breads and cakes. Send recipes, including source, to Emily Green, Recipe, Weekend Features, The Independent, 40 City Road, London EC1Y 2DB. Those whose recipes we print will receive a bottle of 1989 Bukkuram de Bartoli from Reid Wines, near Bristol.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies