Joan's cake
“There's a special place in Stephanie Alexander's heart for rich and celebratory chocolate cakes.”
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup sugar
- 125g butter
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
- 50g cocoa, sifted
- Pinch salt
- Few drops pure vanilla
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 150g dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tbsp honey
- 60g unsalted butter, chopped
Joan Campbell called this cake Yum-Yum Cake and says that she has made it since she was a young girl. Note that the mixture contains no eggs. My clipping is from the Australian Women's Weekly of October 2003. The honey glaze is from The Cook's Companion.
Method
For the cake
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Grease a 21-centimetre
diameter baba (ring) tin with butter.
Combine raisins, sugar, butter,
cinnamon, cloves, water, cocoa and salt in a medium saucepan.
Bring to the
boil, then simmer, uncovered for five minutes, stirring from time to
time.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl and cool.
Stir in vanilla, then
sifted flour and soda. Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes
or until cooked when tested.
Turn on to cake rack to cool.
When cake is
completely cold, stand rack over a tray and pour over the chocolate honey glaze,
letting it run down the sides of the cake.
For the glaze
Place all ingredients in a bowl over hot water and allow chocolate and butter to melt.
Remove bowl and stir until quite smooth. Tip boldly.
