Martha Washingtons Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Soak the raisins and currants overnight in water in a small bowl. Combine the orange peel, lemon peel, citron and cherries in a medium-size bowl; sprinkle with brandy and marinate overnight.
• Beat the butter, three-quarters of a cup of the sugar, egg yolks and lemon juice at high speed in electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about five minutes.
• Sift the flour, mace and nutmeg on wax paper. Stir into the batter alternately with the Sherry, blending well.
• Drain the raisins and currants. Add them to the batter with the candied fruits and brandy, mixing well.
• Beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Beat in the remaining one-quarter cup of sugar slowly until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter.
• Grease two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch pans. Spoon the batter into the pans. Place a large pan filled halfway up with boiling water on the lowest oven rack. Place the cakes on the middle oven rack.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 55 minutes longer or until the cake centers spring back when lightly touched. Cool the cakes on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans.
• Wrap the cooled cakes in Sherry- or brandy-soaked cheesecloth. Place in tightly covered containers or wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Check the cheesecloth occasionally. If it dries out, add more Sherry or brandy.
• Garnish the cakes with candied cherries, if desired.

Steps:

• WRITTEN AS PER MARTHA WASHINGTON'S DIRECTIONS.
• Take forty eggs and divide the whites from the yolks, and beat them (whites) to a froth.
• Then work the butter to a cream, and put the whites of the eggs to it, a cup at a time, until well-worked.
• Then add sugar (finely powdered) to it in the same manner (one cup at a time).
• Then put the egg yolks and flour and fruit to it.
• Add to it mace, nutmeg, wine and brandy.
• Two hours will bake it. (350 degrees).
• In the TV program: Martha Stewart baked this in a 16x16x3-inch square pan (it was HUGE!). I suppose you could divide the batter between two 13x9 pans, too.
• She frosted it with a meringue (whipped egg white & sugar) that was lightly baked to give it a crunch -- and claimed that it would keep for weeks if the cake wasn't cut.
• She's got a smaller version on her website.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Soak raisins and currants in water in small bowl overnight.
• Combine orange peel, lemon peel, citron and cherries in mediumsize bowl, sprinkle with brandy; let stand overnight.
• Grease two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch pans.
• Beat egg whites in medium-size bowl with electric mixer until foamy white. Beat in 1/4 cup of the sugar slowly until meringue forms stiff peaks; reserve.
• Beat butter, remaining sugar, egg yolks and lemon juice in large bowl with electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about five minutes.
• Sift flour, mace and nutmeg onto wax paper. Stir into batter alternately with sherry, blending well.
• Drain raisins and currants. Add to batter with candied fruits and brandy, mixing well.
• Fold in reserved meringue until no streaks of white remain. Pour batter into pans. Place in a roasting pan on lowest rack of oven. Fill halfway with boiling water. Place cakes on middle rack of oven.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 325 degrees and bake 55 minutes longer until centers spring back when lightly touched with fingertip. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.
• To store: wrap in sherry- or brandy-soaked cheesecloth; place in tightly covered containers for a month or longer. Pour more sherry or brandy over cake when cheesecloth dries out.
• Garnish with candied cherries, if you wish.

Steps:

• Beat 3 egg yolks, sugar and water until creamy.
• In another bowl beat 3 egg whites to soft peak.
• Sift flours, BP and salt. Stir with whisk to mix thoroughly.
• Add egg whites and flour mixture to egg yolk mixture alternating each and folding until batter is just incorporated.
• Batter will have some traces of flour exposed. Do not stir and do not over mix for best results.
• Grease 2 9" cake pans. Line bottom of each with waxed paper or parchment. Grease paper and dust bottoms and sides with flour.
• Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes. Test for doneness with toothpick.
• For ease in slicing the layers in 2, place cake layers in pans in freezer. To remove from pan when ready to assemble, turn stove burner to med and slide bottom of cake pan around until the heat releases cake; test by using a butter knife pulling the sides up until cake comes free from bottom.This happens within seconds. Slice frozen layers in two and spread filling between layers leaving top of cake bare.
• Filling:.
• Cream egg yolks.
• Mix cornstarch with a small amount of the milk and then add to saucepan with balance of milk, creamed egg yolks and sugar. Cook until it comes to a boil.
• Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
• Cool.
• Can use leftover egg whites to frost sides of cake with 7 minute frosting.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, dry milk, yeast and salt. Add butter and water; beat on low for 2 minutes. Add eggs; beat on high for 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into thirds. Roll one portion into a 20x6-in. rectangle, with a short side facing you. Brush top two-thirds of dough with 1 tablespoon melted butter. In a bowl, combine the coconut, pecans and brown sugar; blend in 3 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle a third of the mixture over buttered portion of dough. Starting at the plain short side, fold dough over half of filling; fold over again. Pinch edges and end to seal., Place on a greased baking sheet with folded edge facing away from you. With scissors, cut into eight strips to within 1 in. from folded edge. Separate strips slightly; twist to allow filling to show. Pinch ends into points. Repeat with remaining dough and filling to make two more fans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. , Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over fans.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla until blended. Stir in coconut and pecans. Divide dough in half; refrigerate, covered, 1 hour., Working with half the dough at a time, shape mixture into 1-in. balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate 30 minutes longer., In top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over barely simmering water, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip balls in melted chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Return to waxed paper. Refrigerate until set., To Make Ahead: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator., Freeze option: Freeze candy, layered between pieces of waxed paper, in freezer containers. To use, thaw in refrigerator 2 hours before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• To Make Filling: Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, cocoa and baking powder together until smooth; alternately mix in the milk and flour. Stir in raisins and walnuts.
• Pour mixture into pastry shells and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 60 to 70 minutes. Do not underbake.
• To Make Icing: Combine confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Gradually stir in milk until desired consistency is reached.
• Spread icing on pie once its out of the oven and still warm.

Steps:

• 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.