Trench Cake

[seaJane]

Wincanton History Society recently disseminated this recipe for Trench Cake - I'll let you know if it comes out well!

Ingredients

225 g plain flour / 110 g cold butter / 75 g currants / 2 tsp cocoa / 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda / 75 g brown sugar / 1 tsp vinegar / 145 ml milk / optional flavouring of nutmeg, ginger or grated lemon zest.

Method.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees for a fan oven) or gas mark 4; grease and line a small cake tin (16 cm/6 inches diameter).

Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.

Combine the vinegar and milk, pour them into the dry ingredients, and stir until everything is mixed. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake for about 1 or one and a half hours; the cake is done when a skewer or knife blade inserted at the centre comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the tin.

[Interested]

 

Grated lemon zest, please...

[seaJane]

In that case I think I'll use lemon juice instead of vinegar in the milk

[Interested]

Very adventurous, can't wait to try a slice...

 

[jay dubaya]

Vinegar and milk = buttermilk. I was hoping it was going to be cooked like a clootie, sounds yummy none the less.

[FROGSMILE]

Forum member @Michelle Young makes by far the best trench cake that any trench follower could ever hope for.  Quite extraordinary.

[Michelle Young]

I shall have to give that recipe a go. Should anyone want the recipe Mr F alludes to, I’m happy to share it. 

[FROGSMILE]

9 minutes ago, Michelle Young said:

I shall have to give that recipe a go. Should anyone want the recipe Mr F alludes to, I’m happy to share it. 

You should patent it! 😋

[seaJane]

It would be good to have a variant edition, Michelle .

[FROGSMILE]

3 minutes ago, seaJane said:

It would be good to have a variant edition, Michelle .

Highly recommended seaJane.  It’s a meal in itself and would go with all beverages that I can think of, especially Rum, Whisky, and Brandy.🤪

Edited 25 April , 2024 by FROGSMILE

[seaJane]

2 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

all beverages that I can think of, especially Rum, Whisky, and Brandy.

Not all at once, I trust ...

[FROGSMILE]

6 minutes ago, seaJane said:

Not all at once, I trust ...

One at a time, but in succession is fine😋👍

Edited 25 April , 2024 by FROGSMILE

[Don Regiano]

3 hours ago, seaJane said:

a fan oven

Haven't come across one of them in my battlefield excursions sJ.

[seaJane]

31 minutes ago, Don Regiano said:

Haven't come across one of them in my battlefield excursions sJ.

Think they were meant to be cooked at home to be sent to the trenches, rather than cooked in the same!

Mind you, I suppose failed/stale ones might have done to fill sandbags ...

sJ

[Michelle Young]

Looking at the recipe sJ posted, I’d imagine it would stale quite quickly, as it’s basically a scone mix. I’m still going to give it a go. Cakes don’t last long with Mr Y around. 

[Allan1892]

14 hours ago, Michelle Young said:

Should anyone want the recipe Mr F alludes to, I’m happy to share it.

Yes please

[Michelle Young]

https://www.nancybirtwhistle.co.uk/recipes/malt-loaf/
 

I used a mix of figs, dates and sultanas. 

[Allan1892]

Thank you for the link Michelle, sounds like a cake that my grandmother used to make. Will be trying this sometime next week

[Michelle Young]

I didn’t add the  sugar, as the fruit was sweet enough in my opinion. 

[Allan1892]

19 minutes ago, Michelle Young said:

I didn’t add the  sugar, as the fruit was sweet enough in my opinion. 

Thanks for the tip Michelle.

[FROGSMILE]

2 hours ago, Allan1892 said:

Thanks for the tip Michelle.

Having had the pleasure of helping to devour the cake I second that with enthusiasm if I may.  Adding sugar would ruin it in my opinion.  It’s sublime with just the fruit alone as a very natural and supremely adequate sweetener.

Edited 26 April , 2024 by FROGSMILE