Chocolate Spice Cake

This recipe comes from an old, post war recipe booklet, given away with the new and modern “SR Flour” ! So I am guessing about 65 - 70 years old. I will give it to you, exactly as printed in the booklet, although I do not know exactly what “pudding spice” is, but I presume mixed spice.

I made it in a tray bake tin, but the original recipe used an ordinary tin [don’t think tray bake tins were out then!]. After baking, I took it along to a Bridge afternoon and without exception everyone said how unusual and utterly delicious it was. The wonderful spicy chocolate flavour lingered on your taste buds. Wow. Just a wonderful cake. Trust me, make it over Xmas!

Butter an 8” square, or similar, shallow tin. Mine was 10” x 7”. Preheat your oven to 350F - I have worked this out to be 160C for fan ovens.

6 oz SR Flour

4 oz butter [recipe states margarine - NO WAY!]

7 oz sugar [caster?]

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon pudding spice

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs [yolks and whites separated]

2 oz plain chocolate

2 teaspoonfuls very finely chopped candied peel

8 tablespoons milk [I used buttermilk]

Cream the sugar and butter until fluffy. Blend in the melted chocolate and the two yolks. Mix the salt and slices with the flour and stir in alternately with the milk. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites and the candied peel.

Bake in a moderate oven for about 35 mins. Cool and spread with icing [of your choice?]

I decide to use a simple water icing infused with a little cinnamon and some finely chopped stem ginger that needed using up, grating over a little more more plain chocolate too. Cut into squares and enjoy.

Really good, with a very different combination of flavours that work beautifully