This recipes for Twelfth Night cake is based on the tradition of steamed pudding still used in Britain but unfamiliar to most American cooks. The slow, moist cooking conditions, produce a wonderfully delicate cake. The English pottery company, Mason Cash, is the only manufacturer of pudding basins I've found in the US and, after years looking, Sur La Table is the only company in the US that seems to sell them. Follow this link to order your pudding basin. If you want to create a larger or more detailed cake, double the recipe and use this steamed pudding mold.
1 stick of unsalted butter (4 oz), plus more for buttering the cake mold and aluminum foil
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup diced candied orange peel (do not use fresh orange peel)
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
3 tablespoons milk
Prepare steamer. Use dutch-oven or large pot for pasta or canning. In bottom, place a metal steamer basket or metal ring from a Mason jar. Place pudding basin or other heat-proof on top and make sure steamer lid will fit tightly.
Butter a 2-pint pudding basin or other heat-proof bowl. (If you need to use a larger bowl, that's okay, just be careful removing the cake from the mold. Also, see note above about where to buy a proper English pudding basin.)
In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir in raisins, chopped candied orange peel, and chopped dried apricots. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream 1 stick of butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add dry ingredients. Beat until combined. Mix in milk.
Pour batter into prepared pudding basin. Bury a dried pea and a dried bean in different places in the batter. Tear off a piece of aluminum foil slightly larger then the top of the bowl. Butter one side of aluminum foil and make a pleat in the middle for the pudding to rise. Cover bowl with foil. Tie foil securely with kitchen twine just under the lip of the bowl.
Place in large pot. Add water until it comes halfway up the side of the pudding basin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil, put lid on pot, and steam cake for 1 1/2-2 hours. Because the heat is moist and not dry like an oven, you can be quite flexible with the cooking time without worrying. When done, remove from pot. Let sit for 10 minutes. Turn onto a serving plate.
Let guests serve themselves. Whoever finds the pea is the Queen for the night and whoever finds the bean is the King for the night. For more info on the Twelfth Night Cake, see the podcast page for At Shakespeare's Table.
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