Victorian Seed Cake - Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë)

Post Comment

 



As you may know, the story of poor Jane Eyre is not a happy one. Having to endure the death of her parents first, then the malevolence of her aunt and cousin, the violence at Lowood School and finally everything that happened at the Rochester mansion... let's just say that  moments of enjoyment and lightness  in this novel are very hard to find.

The first beacon of light that we encounter in the book, comes right after one of the incredibly harsh punishments endured by Jane by the hand of the School's headmaster, when the only charitable teacher Miss Temple decides to take her and her only friend Helen into her chambers to offer some comfort, as well as tea and cake.

"Having invited Helen and me to approach the table, and placed before each of us a cup of tea with one delicious but thin morsel of toast, she got up, unlocked a drawer, and taking from it a parcel wrapped in paper, disclosed presently to our eyes a good-sized seed-cake.

‘I meant to give each of you some of this to take with you,’ said she, ‘but as there is so little toast, you must have it now,’ and she proceeded to cut slices with a generous hand.

We feasted that evening as on nectar and ambrosia; and not the least delight of the entertainment was the smile of gratification with which our hostess regarded us, as we satisfied our famished appetites on the delicate fare she liberally supplied." 


Now, what was this seed cake like? 

Though accounts of this simple - but rich - cake appear in recipe books since the end of the 16th century, it reached the peak of its popularity in the 1700s and remained popular through the whole 1800s. This is why it is mostly known as a Victorian cake even though its origins are foregoing.

The seeds mentioned in its name are Caraway seeds. At the time they were so popular that in Mary Eaton's 1822's "The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary" they appear in at least 14 other cakes and biscuits, as well as in soap and treatment for "hysterics" recipes.

But let's just focus on the cake.

Since, as i previously mentioned, it was and still is a very popular dessert, there are too many recipes to chose from. Some of them include milk, some include candied orange zest or brandy... Personally, I believe that the one served in a severe victorian boarding school like Lowood, had no such frills and expensive ingredients, but it was rather simple and rustic, with very few ingredients. 

The one I chose to test, with amazing results, is the following:

butter         180gr

caster sugar   150gr

eggs           3

caraway seeds  3tsp

baking powder  1tsp

a pinch of salt


Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°).  Butter and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

In a bowl, or a cake mixer, cream together the soft butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then sift together the flour , the baking powder, the caraway seeds and a pinch of salt. Mix well to combine evenly and scrape into the prepared baking tin.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or unti well risen, golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.




I used a gluten free flour mix for this one and the result is super moist and soft, so I can definitely vouch for the versatility of this recipe. Feel free to add the other traditional ingredients to make it more rich in flavour, but I can assure you that the aroma of the Caraway seeds makes it already perfect as it is. 

Let me know if you try this recipe. In the meantime, take care, be safe and keep reading! 

0 Comments