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Food, Drink and the Pleasures of Eating in Old-Time Nova Scotia

Doughnuts, Cornwall Cake

Modern Method

Cornwal (Cornwall) Cake
1 lb. flour
1 lb. white sugar
½ lb. butter
5 eggs
Flavour with lemon
½ lb. currants washed and dried
Add a small quantity of soda and cream of tartar.
Bake in a round loaf.

Modern Adaptation:
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ pound butter (soften in microwave for about 15-20 seconds)
5 eggs
1 lemon
1½ cups currants
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda

Grease and flour a 9” round pan. Grate zest from lemon and squeeze juice from lemon. Keep separate.
Cream butter and sugar in one large bowl. Beat eggs (one at a time) and add to mixture. Mix after each egg is added. Add lemon juice and mix well.
Sift flour, baking soda and cream of tartar together in another bowl. Dredge currants in flour. Add lemon zest and mix. Add dry ingredients to creamed butter and sugar and mix well. Add lemon juice.
Coat currants with a small amount of flour and add to bowl.
Pour mixture into pan and bake at 350 F for 75 minutes.

Militia books are a most unlikely place to find recipes but Nova Scotia Archives has hand written recipes in a Military Order Book and in a published Militia Laws book. The Military Order Book, Horton, Kings County, Nova Scotia Militia, 1812-1829, contains recipes for Cornwall cake, ginger snaps, sugar snaps, fruit cake, mince pie, apple cake, bread pudding and many others following the last militia entry in 1829.

Date: ca. 1830

Reference: Nova Scotia Military Nova Scotia Archives  RG 22 vol. 13

Nova Scotia Archives — https://archives.novascotia.ca/cooking/archives/?ID=169

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