Thread: Pheasant Cake

About now I usually get a few of my Gun Cakes made for the ensuring bird season but this year I have superseded it with the Pheasant Cake...I have today made a 28cm cake to take to share at the trials over Easter. No almonds are included.

As this cake does not contain brown or Demerara sugar nor treacle or golden syrup, the dough is light in colour. This recipe is 11/2 from that for a 23cm cake size.

The night before....
Measure out the fruit along with the peel and cherries and wash a couple of times changing the water. Spread out on a tea towel lining a cake rack and allow to dry. Place in a big big bowl, and pour over 1/2 cup of brandy to macerate as long as possible.

The fruit is...

700g gold raisins
350g gold sultanas
600g black sultanas
250g black raisins
200g currants
100g mixed peel
175g red glacé cherries
175g green glacé cherries


Int morning, take from the fridge nine size 7 eggs and a packet of butter to allow to come to room temperature. Line the cake tin with baking paper.

Drain
450g tin of crushed pineapple

Measure out

350g flour

and add to the flour
3 tsps mixed spice
2 tsps cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Measure out 350g of the butter into the large bowl of cake mixer and once the butter is creamed, add

250g caster sugar
2 tsps almond essence
1 tsps vanilla essence

Add the eggs and flour and spices to the creamed butter and sugar alternately.

Stir the drained pineapple gently through the fruit, then add the dough and mix through well. Place the mix into the tin, being sure to make a well in the centre of the dough, it only needs to have a diameter of 3 to 4cm. Bake at 150c until a skewer pushed in the dough comes out clean.

Remove from oven, and rest awhile, then pierce the top with the skewer and drizzle over another four or five tablespoons of brandy. Leave in tin until cool, and allow to get cold on cake rack. Wrap tightly with paper and foil and store away in an air tight container...giving it another drink of brandy every four days.

As this recipe contains pineapple it is best not to store too long. For a cake to be stored, substitute the pineapple with another 150g golden raisins.