St George’s Hall Cake: A fabulous recipe from over 100 years ago, with currants, mixed peel, ginger & caraway seeds – perfect with a cuppa.
Recipe from the “Liverpool School of Cookery Recipe Book”
Today’s recipe for St George’s Hall Cake, is from an old cookbook called the “Liverpool School of Cookery Recipe Book”, first published in 1900, so over 100 years ago.
It’s a rather unsual fruit cake, with just currants added, along with mixed peel, grated fresh ginger and caraway seeds.
The eggs are separated, with the egg whites being beaten, so the cake is lighter than most traditional fruit cakes or tea loaves.
We both loved it, with it’s warm aromatic spiced flavour and light crumb – plus, the mixed peel adds a bit of moisture, as well as texture.
It’s a drier cake than normal rich fruit cakes, but, we both enjoyed it buttered after a few days after it had been baked, but you could increase the fat content a bit.
If you aren’t a fan of caraway seeds, you could omit them and add some mixed spice, or even ground cinnamon.
Serve this delightful cake with a pot of tea, or coffee, for afternoon tea, elevenses, or for a packed lunch and picnic.
The “Liverpool School of Cookery Recipe Book” was described as being “most valuable to young housekeepers. containing recipes most needed under all conditions and circumstances of everyday life”
I haven’t had a good luck through the rest of the book, which I downloaded from Leeds University, but this cake is a good indication that there will probably be more interesting recipes.
I hope you enjoy this cake if you make it – I will be making it again in honour of England’s patron saint, St George, on April the 23rd, which is St George’s Day.
Culinary Notes
- Original Ingredients:
- • ¾ lb flour.
- • 2 oz. lard.
- • 2 oz. butter.
- • 6 oz. sifted sugar
- • 2 oz. candied peel.
- • ½ lb. cleaned currants.
- • 1 teaspoonful grated ginger.
- • ½ oz. caraway seeds, if liked.
- • 1 teaspoonful baking powder.
- • 3 eggs (separated)
- • About ¼ pint of milk
- Very slow to moderate to very hot oven temperature guide
- • Very slow = 120°C = 250°F = Gas Mark ½
- • Slow = 150°C = 275-300°F = Gas Mark 1-2
- • Moderately slow = 160°C = 325°F = Gas Mark 3
- • Moderate = 180°C = 350-375°F = Gas Mark 4-5
- • Moderately hot = 200°C = 400°F = Gas Mark 6
- • Hot = 220°C = 425-450°F = Gas Mark 7-8
- • Very hot = 240°C = 475°F = Gas Mark 9
More Caraway Seed Recipes
Recipes for St George’s Day
- St George’s Mushroom & Egg Sausage Burger on Toast
- Wild Garlic Mushrooms on Toast
- St George’s Day & A Spring Salad Recipe: English Apple and Walnut Salad
More Vintage Fruit Cake Recipes
Pin me for Later Baking
St George’s Hall Cake Recipe
St George's Hall Cake
Today's recipe for St George's Hall Cake, is from an old cookbook called the "Liverpool School of Cookery Recipe Book",, first published in 1900, so over 100 years ago.
It's a rather unsual fruit cake, with just currants added, along with mixed peel, grated fresh ginger and caraway seeds.
The eggs are separated, with the egg whites being beaten, so the cake is lighter than most traditional fruit cakes or tea loaves.
We both loved it, with it's warm aromatic spiced flavour and light crumb - plus, the mixed peel adds a bit of moisture, as well as texture.
It's a drier cake than normal rich fruit cakes, but, we both enjoyed it buttered after a few days after it had been baked, but you could increase the fat content a bit.
If you aren't a fan of caraway seeds, you could omit them and add some mixed spice, or even ground cinnamon.
Serve this delightful cake with a pot of tea, or coffee, for afternoon tea, elevenses, or for a packed lunch and picnic.
The "Liverpool School of Cookery Recipe Book" was described as being “most valuable to young housekeepers. containing recipes most needed under all conditions and circumstances of everyday life”
I haven't had a good luck through the rest of the book, which I downloaded from Leeds University, but this cake is a good indication that there will probably be more interesting recipes.
I hope you enjoy this cake if you make it - I will be making it again in honour of England's patron saint, St George, on April the 23rd, which is St George's Day.
Ingredients
- ¾ lb/340g plain flour
- 4 oz/110g butter
- 6 oz/170g sifted caster sugar
- 2 oz/60g candied peel
- ½ lb/225g cleaned currants
- 1 teaspoonful grated ginger
- ½ oz/15g caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoonful baking powder
- 3 eggs (separated)
- About ¼ pint/150ml of milk
Instructions
1. Rub the butter into the flour, add the rest of the dried ingredients and mix well.
2. Mix a little milk with the yolks of eggs and stir in, add more milk gradually until the mixture, is stiff, but is moist enough to be beaten.
3. Give a quick, vigorous beating, then mix in very lightly the beaten egg whites.
4. Spoon into a well greased or lined 8" cake tin.
5. Bake in a moderate oven about 2 hours.
Notes
Original Ingredients:
• ¾ lb flour.
• 2 oz. lard.
• 2 oz. butter.
• 6 oz. sifted sugar
• 2 oz. candied peel.
• ½ lb. cleaned currants.
• 1 teaspoonful grated ginger.
• ½ oz. caraway seeds, if liked.
• 1 teaspoonful baking powder.
• 3 eggs (separated)
• About ¼ pint of milk
Very slow to moderate to very hot oven temperature guide
• Very slow = 120°C = 250°F = Gas Mark ½
• Slow = 150°C = 275-300°F = Gas Mark 1-2
• Moderately slow = 160°C = 325°F = Gas Mark 3
• Moderate = 180°C = 350-375°F = Gas Mark 4-5
• Moderately hot = 200°C = 400°F = Gas Mark 6
• Hot = 220°C = 425-450°F = Gas Mark 7-8
• Very hot = 240°C = 475°F = Gas Mark 9
A simpler recipe for St. George’s Hall Cake
This recipe also appears in ‘The Glasgow School of Cookery Book’ 1910. The Glasgow School of Cookery was established in 1875.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 117Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 3gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 64mgSodium 92mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 1gSugar 6gProtein 4g
Ron S. says
Hey Karen!
This looks great – and I really want to make it! (love both caraway seeds and ginger!)
I’m a little confused tho…
Are ‘cleaned’ currants fresh ones that have been rinsed clean?
Or dried ones rinsed to clean and plump-up?
I’ve only access here in sub tropical Oz (Brisbane) to the dried version unfortunately – so hope it’s the latter!
Also – ‘rubbing in’ the butter into the flour?
Rubbing in as in the technique for rubbing butter into the flour for scones or pastry?
Or more creaming the butter into with a wooden spoon or cake mixer like a regular cake?
So sorry to be dense – just that the baking terminology can sometimes overlap and mean different techniques for different recipes I’ve found with over the years. And language in older Gordon recipes isn’t always what we’d take it to mean now.
Thanks again for your wonderful site! Really enjoy the photos and words as well as the recipes 🙂
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hello Ron
Thank you!
Cleaned currants is an old vintage recipe expression- no need to wash or clean them nowadays!
Yes, rubbing in the butter is like making scones – just the same.
THANK YOU for yhour kind comments! 🙂
Karen