Porter Cake Variation
Submitted by schoolbaker on December 07, 2002 at 7:06 pm

DESCRIPTION
Porter Cake Variation

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under cakes

INSTRUCTIONS
• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 4 c. unbleached white flour
• 2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3 c. dark raisins
• 1 1/2 c. golden raisins (sultanas)
• 1/2 c. dried cherries or dried cranberries
apricot brandy to cover cherries or cranberries
• 1/2 c. chopped blanched almonds
• 1/2-1 c. homemade candied orange peel (recipe below)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 c. Guinness at room temperature
• 1 t. baking soda, dissolved in a little Guinness

Let cherries & apricot brandy steep while preparing candied orange peel.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

With your hands, rub the butter well into the flour, in a (large) bowl. Add the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix well, using a wooden spoon. Beat together the eggs and Guinness (baking soda dissolved in Guinness) along w/ the cherries & apricot brandy (that the cherries were soaking in) and drained candied orange peel. Stir this into the flour mixture and blend thoroughly.

Put the mixture in a buttered Bundt Pan. Bake in the oven for about 2 hours, until nicely browned. When done, turn it out on a wire rack to cool. Mix the reserved orange syrup (reserved from candied orange peel recipe below) w/ 1/4 cup apricot brandy and brush on cooled cake

3-4 oranges
13 cups water, divided
2 cups sugar

Wash oranges and quarter. Remove peel gently with fingers. Heat orange peel and 6 cups water to boiling. Simmer 30 minutes; drain. Repeat process, cooking peel in another 6 cups water. With a spoon, gently scrape off remaining white membrane from peel. Cut peel into 1/4" dice. Heat 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water to boiling, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add peel; simmer 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn mixture into strainer; drain thoroughly. Set aside orange syrup to mix w/ apricot brandy.

I would like to thank bookbag for the original Porter Cake recipe.