Christmas preparations, Sweets and Cakes
Celebrating Love with “Love Cake” and the 100th Post”
Every year I go down the route of soaking fruits to make the much loved Christmas cake….this year too I will be making a Traditional Christmas cake (recipe coming soon)
and the Award winning Carribean Fruit Cake. And because this year is so special there is going to be an extra special festive cake, one that comes from across the globe where it is usually made at Christmas, New Year’s, weddings and birthdays.
This cake is fragnant, aromatic and moorish. Made with 10 eggs ( the Chinese believe the no.10 to be “perfect” so “Perfect Love”..and other ingredients like honey, rose water, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cashewnuts …….wooohooo….let the party begin 🙂
The recipe for love cake is adapted from Portuguese cuisine, probably from the 16th century, when Portugal dominated the spice trade and controlled a portion of the island once known as Ceylon. The recipe’s cashewnuts and cardamom grow on the island and are used by the native Sinhalese The use of rose water may trace to the Ceylon Muslims
What’s behind the name??
As this cake landed on the Srilankan shore during the Portuguese rule and was instantly adopted by the grandmothers, aunts and mothers … and they decided this cake was so incredible, amazing and such a beautiful cake they named it love cake. They decided if you fed it to the boy who you wanted to marry your daughter, they would fall instantly in love.”.hmmm……are all you mums and dads with daughter’s of marriageable age listening 😉
The cake becomes richer in flavour and denser in texture with time. Love Cake keeps well for 2-3 weeks in a tightly covered tin, stored in a cool place but not refrigerated. The cake tastes best after two days.
Recipe Adapted from-The Cake Mistress
To make this lovely cake you will require:
Ingredients:
250g Semolina
10 Eggs, separated
500g Caster Sugar
185g Cashew Nuts, chopped finely
2 tablespoons Rosewater
2 tablespoons Honey
1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Lemon Rind
1/2 teaspoon ground Cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
3. Separately, mix cashews with rose water, almond extract and vanilla. Cover and set aside.
4. Grease 9-by-13-inch pan and line with three thicknesses of wax paper. Butter well the top layer of paper.
5. In a large bowl, beat yolks and sugar until they have doubled in bulk and become thick, creamy and very light in color.
6. Beat in the semolina-butter mixture, a little at a time. Add the honey and beat. When well beaten, fold in cashew mixture.
7. Beat egg whites with lemon juice until they hold firm peaks. Fold into the cake mixture.
8. Spoon the mix into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven at 150C for 50-60 minutes. If the top starts to brown, cover with aluminium foil. Do not use the skewer test to check if it’s ready as this cake is very moist. Instead, lightly jiggle the cake tin and make sure there is no runny batter.
