Walnut or Mixed Seeds and Sultana Cake
Walnut or Mixed Seeds and Sultana Cake
Mamta Gupta
This is an old cake recipe, not mine, easy to follow and quite tasty! Everyone makes it, with very minor variations. Cake baking fills the house with a lovely aroma. I usually make it in a round tin, but you could make it in a large loaf tin. Loaf cakes are much easier to slice and serve.
You can use nuts other than walnuts, but I think walnuts are the best! If you have a really sweet tooth, serve slices with a thin layer of good honey and a fresh pot of tea.
Makes an 1 kg, cake.
Ingredients
225 gm. plain flour (maida)
2 level tsp. baking powder
50 gm. walnuts (akhrote)
50 gm. sultanas (kishmish)
1 tbsp. flour
225 gm. butter (or use cooking oil), at room temperature
225 gm. caster (ground) sugar
5 standard eggs at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract (or a few strands of saffron)
2 tbsp. milk (use as/if required)
8 inch or 21 cm. round cake tin
Baking paper. Non-stick one is nice, doesn't require greasing.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 C (10C less in fan oven), 350F or Gas mark 4.
Grease or line a 21 cm. round cake tin. If using non-stick paper or silicone baking tins, they do not require greasing. For paper, first cut a circle for the base and then a wide band, to go all along the inside edge of the tin. Paper should be 2-3 inches higher than the tin.
Dry roast or dry fry walnuts/seeds in a wok or cook in a microwave on full, for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave for 1-2 more minutes. Cool and chop (walnuts) coarsely. Keep aside.
Mix Sultanas and 1 tablespoon of flour. Sift excess flour in sultanas into the main flour. Keep sultanas aside.
Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and creamy. I use an electric beater. the mix should look light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one.
Add vanilla essence (or saffron threads) and beat until the whole mix looks light and fluffy again.
Sift flour and baking powder together into the above mix. Sifting removes any lumps in the flour.
Fold in gently, using a wooden or plastic spatula, in figure of 8 motions.
Milk should be added only if your cake mix is too stiff. Add milk gradually, in 3-4 portions, and mix well gently, to get a slow dropping consistency.
Add walnuts/seeds and sultanas and fold in.
Pour the cake mix into the prepared cake tin and shake gently to spread evenly.
Bake in the centre of the oven, for 50 minutes. To see if it is done, put a skewer or sharp knife through the cake and pull it out. It should not have any cake sticking to it. If it is not done, cook for a further 10 minutes.
Take out of the oven, rest the tin on a wire rack. Remove from the tin after 10-15 minutes. Peel off the baking paper. Allow to cool fully and then store in a tin or cake box.
