Mrs. Beeton's Pound Cake
A Victorian classic brought into the modern kitchen — buttery, dense, and studded with currants, candied peel, and almonds with a whisper of mace.
Ingredients
- 1 cupunsalted butter(room temperature)
- 1 cupcaster sugar
- 4 largeegg(yolks and whites separated)
- 2 ¾ cupsplain flour(plus extra for dusting)
- 8 ozdried currants
- 2 ozmixed candied peel(thinly sliced)
- ½ ozcandied citron peel(thinly sliced)
- 1 ozblanched almonds(roughly chopped)
- ¼ tspground mace
Method
- 01
Preheat your oven to 170 °C (150 °C fan / 325 °F). Grease a 20 cm round cake tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
- 02
Beat the 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup caster sugar together in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on medium-high speed for 4–5 minutes, until the mixture is pale and noticeably fluffy.
- 03
Separate the 4 large eggs. Add the yolks one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.
- 04
In a clean bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites to soft peaks — this is the key to a lighter crumb than the original recipe.
- 05
Sift the 2 ¾ cups plain flour and ¼ tsp ground mace together, then fold them into the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the whisked egg whites. Use a large spatula and a gentle hand to keep as much air as possible.
- 06
Fold in the 8 oz dried currants, 2 oz mixed candied peel, ½ oz candied citron peel, and 1 oz blanched almonds until evenly distributed.
- 07
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Give the tin a gentle tap on the counter to settle any air pockets.
- 08
Bake immediately in the preheated oven for 90–105 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the top is deep golden brown.
- 09
Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and peel away the parchment. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Adapted from public domain & community sources