108 BREAD, CAKES, AND BISCUITS.
the old people had words over this; one said it must be
baked, the other said it should be boiled; and they continued
arguing for some time, until one of them, which the legend
sayeth not, tired of the discussion, suggested a compromise;
and so the cake was first boiled and then baked, and received
the name of Sim (short for Simon) and Nell's cake, other-
wise Simnel cake. I fear I do not know if this legend may
be credited; I can only give it as the explanation given to
me in my childhood, and I have seen it referred to often
since then. 12oz. each of butter and of caster sugar, 1lb.
of flour, 1lb. of eggs (weigh these), 4oz. candied peel, 12oz.
currants, and a few drops of essence of lemon. Beat the
butter to a cream with the sugar, then work the eggs in,
one or two at a time, and when these are all used add the
other ingredients quickly and lightly. Prepare some almond
icing thus: Rub together 12oz. caster sugar and 6oz. ground
almonds, and work this to a stiff paste with two small eggs
or one large one. Roll this paste out, dusting it and the
board with a little rice flour; butter and paper a cake hoop,
and put into it a layer of the cake mixture and then one
of the almond icing, then a second layer of the cake, and bake
in a moderate oven. A 1lb. cake will take fifty minutes, a
2lb. one seventy-five minutes. Or: beat 6oz. each of butter
and caster sugar to a cream, work in four eggs, then mix in
12oz. sifted flour, mixed with half a teaspoonful baking
powder, one teaspoonful mixed spice, half a teaspoonful of
cinnamon, half a teaspoonful ground ginger, 3lb. washed and
dried currants, 1lb. each of sultanas and raisins stoned and
chopped, and 4oz. shred candied peel. Half a gill of milk
may be required to get the dough nicely workable. Line a
cake mould with several folds of buttered paper, pour in the
mixture, smooth it over the top, and sprinkle the top with
a little water, then with sugar, sweetmeats, and shred
almonds, and bake one and a half hours in a moderate oven,
protecting it above and below from burning. This cake
should properly be kept four months. By the bye, you will