How to Make a Soda Bread CAKE for St Patrick's Day


Skip the 'not actually' traditional corned beef this year and make a hearty beef stew,
and go for an authentic Irish dessert!

happy st patricks day

This recipe from our friends at Irish Central is a soda bread that is sorta like a cake, making it perfect for dessert and breakfast! It also has a fun nickname the kids will love, 'spotted dog'! Plus this one requires no rise time, so you can literally put it together this afternoon and have it for when the kids get home, or for dessert!



Railway Cake
Years ago this cake was saved for special occasions because it used sugar and eggs (which at various times were in short supply in the last century). Now it’s just a particularly tasty Irish soda bread that has a wonderfully cake like texture that goes well with butter and fine raspberry jam. 
Ingredients:
4 cups of all-purpose flour (sifted)
1-2 tablespoons of sugar
1 level teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda (sifted)
3/4 cup of raisins, currants, or golden raisins
1 1/4 cup of buttermilk (use more if the dough is too dry)
1 large egg

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 450.

2  Measure the flour and sift into a large bowl. Add salt, baking soda, sugar and one whole egg. Work the flour with one hand until it begins to separate from the bowl. Then add the buttermilk and raisins and continue to mix. The trick with all soda breads is never to over mix it, so a light hand here will be rewarded.
3. Place the dough onto a floured baking dish and shape into a tidy ball about 1 and ½ inch high. Then use a chef’s knife to cut it deeply in the center, creating four equal sized triangles. Gently prick each of these rounds to create a small steam hole.
4. Put into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 400. Cook for 35-40 minutes. If you are in doubt if it’s cooked, tap the bottom, if it is cooked it will sound hollow. This bread is cooked at a lower temperature than traditional soda bread because the egg browns faster at a higher heat.

Comments