Currant Cake

Railway Cake / Currnie Cake / Sweet Soda Bread


A variation on the standard White Soda Bread is a sweeter bread with a variety of names - depends what part of the country you're in! The addition of sugar, an egg and Currants/Raisins/Sultanas to the bread results in ... a Cake!

So, by following the same basic recipe a bread can quickly become a Cake; in reality it is more of a sweet bread which is great with butter, jam and cup of tea.


Ingredients:

  • 1 lb (450g/3¼ cups) white flour, preferably unbleached
  • 1 level teaspoon/½ American teaspoon salt
  • 1 level teaspoon/½ American teaspoon breadsoda
  • Sour milk or buttermilk to mix - 12-14 fl ozs (350-412 ml) approx.
  • 1 cup Currants or Raisons or Sultanas (I prefer plump juicy Sultanas)
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • 1 egg

Directions:
First fully preheat your oven to 230ºC/450ºF/regulo 8.

Sieve all the dry ingredients and mix in the fruit. Make a well in the centre. Beat the egg and mix it with the buttermilk. Pour most of the milk mixture in at once. Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well floured worked surface. WASH AND DRY YOUR HANDS. Knead lightly for a second, just enough to tidy it up, flip over. Pat the dough into a round about 1½ inches (2.5cm) deep and cut a cross. Let the cuts go over the sides of the bread to make sure of this. Bake in a hot oven, 230ºC/450ºF/regulo 8 for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/regulo 6 for 30 minutes or until cooked. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread: if it is cooked it will sound hollow.

Wrap in a clean tea-towel and leave on a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy with butter, jam and a cup of tea!


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