Coffee Cake For Thanksgiving
This is traditional Coffee Cake of our relatives from New England,- very traditional and modest as all the British meals of the puritan cuisine, especially of our Spencer side of the family.
1 cupful of sweet fresh unsalted butter
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
2 Tablespoonfuls of molasses ( THE OLD RECIPE OF WW1- SUCRENE MOLASSES WAS MENTIONED IN THE NOTES OF THE GRANDMOTHER)
1 cupful of cold black boiled coffee- we prefer pure Arabica beans
33/4 cupfuls of white all purpose wheat flour
5 teaspoonfuls of baking powder- we prefer Calumet, but Glabber Girl baking powder works fine as well
1 teaspoonful of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoonful of ground cloves
11/2 teaspoonful of mace
1/2 teaspoonful of ground allspice
3/4 cupful of shredded seedless raisins - we use Sultana raisins
1/4 cupful cup of shredded citron
3/4 cupful of dried black currants
2 Tablespoonfuls of brandy
This cake is turning you into the festive mood of the ginger cakes and is getting better when kept in the cold pantry- will keep for two weeks and will still be good.
For this cream you beat into cream a cupful of fresh unsalted butter with two cupfuls of of sugar. Add into the cream 4 beaten eggs- beat the eggs with a sprinkle of sugar and a pinch of flour and fold them nicely into the cream. Add to this cream 2 table spoonfuls of molasses and a cupful of a strong cold boiled coffee.Your flour proportions are- 33/ 4 cupfuls of flour to be sifted three or four times with 5 teaspoonfuls of baking powder and the traditional spices- 1 teaspoonful of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoonful of ground cloves, 11/2 teaspoonful of mace, and 1/ 2 teaspoonful of ground alspice. Soak the raisins and the black currants over the night. Dredge 3 /4 cupful of shredded seedless Sultana raisins and 1/4 cupful cup of shredded citron and 3/4 cupful of dried black currants in some of the flour, and only them you should be be mixing them with the spices. Add the fruit last ones into the dough with two Tablespoonfuls of a good brandy. However the brandy may be omitted without injury to the cake itself. The traditional coffee cake of this kind we were baking with brandy for centuries. Bake this cake slowly on the low fire and carefully in one or two loaves.