Denton Gardening Club Open Show
Gentlemen's Class 2016
Queen Elizabeth Cake Recipe
“This is supposed to be the only cake Queen Elizabeth makes herself. The Queen requests that it not be passed on, but sold for the Church of England. A piece of the cake is sold with the recipe. The idea is to have more and more cake in the Parishes throughout the Country. It always sells because it is so good, and because it is the Queen’s own. It originated in Buckingham Palace after the Coronation.”
Ingredients
For the cake
- 175g soft dates. finely chopped
- 240ml boiling water
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 200g soft brown sugar
- 120g butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 200g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the glaze
- 75g soft brown sugar
- 75g double cream
- 25g butter
- pinch of salt
- 30g desiccated coconut
Method
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (300°F). Line a 23 x 31cm (9 x 12 inch) rectangular baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- In a heatproof bowl, mix the dates, bicarbonate of soda and boiling water and set aside.
- In another bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix well, then fold in the flour and baking powder until just combined.
- Add the date mixture (the dates should have absorbed a lot of the water, but the mixture will still be very wet – it should be lukewarm, not hot). Stir with a light hand until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the tray and bake for around 25-30 minutes until the top is a rich brown colour and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool.
- While the cake is baking, make the glaze – Mix all icing ingredients except for coconut in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil; boil for three minutes, until thickened. Pour icing over cake and spread. Sprinkle shredded coconut on top.