Cornish Saffron Cake Recipe | The Golden Loaf of the West Country

Cornish Saffron Cake — From Elowen's Kitchen

The saffron cake is different from the saffron bun — it is a larger loaf, slower to make, richer and more heavily fruited. Where the bun is eaten warm with butter the same day, the cake is wrapped and kept, sliced thin, spread with salted butter. It deepens in flavour over 3-4 days, the saffron note becoming more rounded and less sharp.

This is an enriched yeast cake — not a quick bread, not a sponge, but an old-fashioned fruited loaf in the same tradition as lardy cake or bara brith. It takes most of a day to make properly but the hands-on time is perhaps 30 minutes. The rest is proving and baking.

Ingredients (makes 1 large loaf)

A generous pinch of good saffron strands (about 1/2 teaspoon) 200ml warm whole milk 7g fast-action dried yeast 1 teaspoon caster sugar (to activate the yeast) 500g strong white bread flour 100g caster sugar 1 teaspoon fine salt 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice 125g cold salted Cornish butter, cubed 150g currants 75g mixed peel 50g glacé cherries, halved (traditional in the Cornish version) 2 large eggs, beaten A little extra milk for brushing

Method

Bloom the saffron in the warm milk for at least 1 hour — longer is better. The milk will turn a deep golden colour.

Stir the yeast and the teaspoon of sugar into the saffron milk and leave for 10 minutes until frothy. This tells you the yeast is alive.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and mixed spice. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Add the dried fruit and cherries and mix through the flour.

Add the saffron milk mixture and the beaten eggs and mix to a soft, enriched dough. It will be sticky.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough will be quite stiff due to the fruit. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook for 8 minutes.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to prove in a warm place for 1.5-2 hours until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.

Knock back the dough, shape into a log and place in the prepared tin. Cover loosely and prove for a further 45-60 minutes until risen above the top of the tin.

Brush the top lightly with milk. Bake for 40-45 minutes until deep golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, tent with foil for the final 15 minutes.

Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Wrap in greaseproof paper and keep in an airtight tin.

Elowen's Tips

This cake is at its best on day 2 and 3, not fresh from the oven. The saffron mellows, the fruit softens and the crumb tightens up. Make it the day before you need it.

Slice thinly — this is a rich, dense cake and a thin slice with butter is the right proportion.

The glacé cherries are traditional in West Cornwall versions. Some recipes omit them. Either way is fine — the cherries add a slight sweetness and colour.

For a more intense saffron flavour, use the saffron in cream rather than milk. The fat in cream extracts more of the saffron's flavour compounds.

For Celebration Cakes?

Salt Wind Catering provides cakes and sweet bakes for events across Cornwall. Saffron cake features on our afternoon tea menus. Call 01209 206255 to discuss your event.