Teisen Galan Ystwyll
Teisen Galan Ystwyll is a traditional 12th Night Cake from Wales, with quite classical ingredients. The allspice and coriander particularly illustrate the cake’s heritage as an old recipe. And as such, with several competing winter spices, it is therefore improved by ageing the cake for up to three weeks before it is iced and then eaten – however, it can be made up at short notice too, it will just not have such a rounded and mature flavour as an aged cake.
Teisen Galan Ystwyll (12th Night Cake) Recipe
Recipe Ingredients:
- 500g butter
- 500g sugar
- 500g self raising flour
- 500g currants
- 500g sultanas
- 115g ground almonds
- 230g candied peel
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 7g ground allspice
- 9 separated eggs
- 6 tablespoons brandy
- pinch of salt
Icing
- 4 egg whites
- 750g sifted icing (powdered) sugar
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Recipe Method:
First prepare a 23cm cake tin by lining it with buttered greaseproof paper. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar then add the spices. Beat in alternatively, the beaten egg-yolks with the brandy and a dusting of sifted flour. Add the ground almonds, dried fruit and peel. Whip the egg whites until fairly stiff and fold alternatively with the rest of the flour into the mixture. Add a pinch of salt and mix well. Put the mixture into the cake tin, cover the top with greaseproof paper and bake in a moderate oven 150C for 3 or 4 hours. Remove the cover after the first 1 1/2 hours (90 minutes). Let the cake cool slightly in the tin before turning out top downwards onto a wire rack to get cold.
After baking the cake can be brushed with warm apricot jam and covered with marzipan, prior to icing if liked – or it can just be iced without the marzipan. Both ready-made marzipan and royal icing can be bought, it just needs to be rolled out and cut to shape and stuck to the cake with warmed apricot jam.
ICING FOR THE CAKE
Beat the egg whites adding the icing sugar a little at a time, also the lemon juice. Work it until the icing is smooth and white. Using a palette knife or spatula, spread the icing over the cake. After all the icing has been spread, but not before, dip the knife in tepid water and smooth all over. When left overnight the icing will be quite firm.