I know someone from Hong Kong who adores this cake, and always calls ahead of time when they visit in the hope that I will have time to make one. I got this recipe from a very old cookbook, and one time checked all the references that are listed, but some of them are a stretch. No matter how you look at it, this cake is outstanding, keeps well, and is fabulous with tea or taken on a journey.
Sift:
3 and ½ cups flour (1 Kings 4:22)
3 tsp. baking powder (Galatians 5:9)
¼ tsp. salt (Leviticus 2:13)
1 and ½ tsp cinnamon (1 Kings 10:2)
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. allspice
Beat with mixer until soft and smooth:
1 cup butter (Judges 5:25)
2 cups packed brown sugar (Jeremiah 6:20)
2 Tbsp. honey (Exodus 16:31)
Beat in one at a time:
6 eggs (Luke 11:12)
I like to blend in a little bit of flour from the flour mix after each egg to keep it from curdling.
Sprinkle ¼ cup flour over these mixed fruits:
1 package pitted dates, chopped (1 cup) (Deuteronomy 34:3)
2 cups raisins (1 Samuel 30:12)
1 cup walnuts, chopped (Solomon 6:11)
– to be honest, I always leave the walnuts out!
Add half of the flour mix to the liquids, then add
1 cup milk (Judges 5: 25)
Then add the rest of the flour mix.
Bake at 325 F in a tube pan for 1 ½ hours. Yes – you read that right. 1 and 1/2 hours. I took it out at 1 hour and 15 minutes once and it wasn’t enough!