Martha Washington's Cake

By MJH

In the 18th century, entertaining was done with desserts that could feed a crowd — a huge crowd. An election cake might serve up to 150 people.
Martha Washington, wife of President George Washington, "Great Cake" was a truly grand edifice, calling for 40 eggs, 5 pounds of flour, 4 pounds each of butter and sugar and some 5 pounds of unspecified fruits.

Ingredients

• Sugar Icing:
• 2 3/4 cups golden raisins
• 2 cups dried currants
• 1 cup orange zest
• 6 ounces candied lemon peel
• 3/4 cup chopped candied citron
• 1/3 cup candied angelica
• 1/3 cup red candied cherries
• 1/3 cup green candied cherries
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 10 eggs, separated
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sherry
• 1 cup sherry
• 3 large egg whites at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 2 tablespoons rose water or orange-flower water

Details

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Place raisins and currants in a bowl, and add enough water to just cover them.
Soak overnight.
Chop orange and lemon peel quite fine; do the same with the citron, angelica, and both types of cherries.
Pour 1/2 cup brandy over fruit, and allow to stand overnight.
Sift together flour, mace, and nutmeg.
Beat egg yolks until thick and light, then beat in 1 cup of sugar a little at a time. Stir in lemon juice.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, and then add 1 cup sugar a little at a time; beat until smooth.
Combine yolk mixture with creamed mixture.
Add flour and 1/3 cup sherry alternately to the creamed mixture.
Stir in all the fruit, and fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
Pour batter into a well greased and floured 10 inch mold or tube pan. This cake can also be made in 2 large loaf pans.

Place a pan of hot water in the bottom of a preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven.
Place cake pans in oven, and bake about 20 minutes.
Reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C); continue baking 100 minutes for large cake, or 40 minutes for loaf cakes.
Cakes are done when a toothpick comes out dry.
Turn cake(s) out on rack to cool.

Wrap cake(s) in cheesecloth soaked in sherry, and store in airtight container for a month or more.
If the cheesecloth dries out in the mellowing period soak it again with the same spirits, and rewrap the cake.

Sugar Icing:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, start beating the egg whites on low speed, gradually adding 2 tablespoons of the sugar.
After about 3 minutes, or when they just begin to form soft peaks, increase the speed to high and continue adding the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until all the sugar is incorporated and the egg whites form soft peaks.
Add the rose water, and continue beating to form stiff peaks. Use immediately to ice the cake.