Cornish Saffron Cake is originally from Cornwall, England as the name suggests. Although it is called a cake, it is usually baked as individual buns or in one large loaf tin to be called a cake. I have used a round 8” baking tray which is why it is a cake. Cornish Saffron Cake is a rich, moist, and full-bodied cake made with butter, eggs, mixed fruit, and of course, saffron and leavened with yeast. It has the texture of a bread and is creamed to appear to be a cake.
I tried this cake in England on my first trip to Cornwall where the tea shop served it with Devonshire clotted cream. The waitress was kind enough to even warm up the buns for me, and I still remember the day where every mouthful was so indigestible! The clotted cream undoubtedly was the icing on the cake! Ever since, I wanted to make these delectable cakes at home and consume them whenever I had the craving. I acquired this recipe from a Welsh friend there who is a great baker. I have tried her baked goods every time I was invited to her home for tea. We have exchanged recipes with each other – I have asked her for some of her Cornish recipes, while I was happy to share some of my Indian curries and tandoor cooking. We had good times together, savoring each other’s creations, while all the time learning and absorbing another cuisine in its entirety.
From my notes, my friend has informed that Cornwall has always used saffron in its cuisine. Apparently, the Cornish have used saffron as a spice in many of their baked goods. While trading tin with merchants from abroad as early as 400 BC, the Cornish had purchased saffron. Once they learned how to use the saffron, it became a core part of their history. In the early part of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, saffron buns were treats that were made for trips as part of church outings. Scandinavian countries popularly make the saffron buns, but they do not add other spices like nutmeg or cinnamon.
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 4000F. Grease an 8″ round tray.
- Warm the water to blood heat and soak the saffron strands for an hour.
- Sieve the flour with the salt. Cut up the butter and rub it into the the flour with your finger tips until the flour looks like breadcrumbs.
4. Warm the milk to blood heat and dissolve the yeast in it. Add the saffron water to the milk-yeast mixture.
5. Beat the eggs and add them to the saffron-milk mixture.
6. Add the sugar and beat well until smooth and elastic with a wooden spatula.
7. Grease a bowl and put the dough into this bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm site. Allow the dough to rise to double in quantity for at least 90 minutes.
8. Mix the dried fruit, candied peel, and currants into the dough. Knead until the candied peel is evenly spread through the dough.
9. Transfer the dough to the greased tray. Level and smoothen the top. Prove for 20 minutes.
10. Brush the top with cream or whole milk.
11. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown crust.
12. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes. Slice the cake and serve hot with clotted cream or honey butter.
Cornish Saffron Cake
Equipment
- Cake Mixer
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp saffron
- 1/2 cup water warm
- 1 lb all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 ozs butter unsalted
- 1 oz yeast active
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 ozs caster sugar
- 1 oz candied peel
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp currants
- 1 oz dried fruit (optional) chopped
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 4000F. Grease an 8" round tray.
- Warm the water to blood heat and soak the saffron strands for an hour.
- Sieve the flour with the salt. Cut up the butter and rub it into the the flour with your finger tips until the flour looks like breadcrumbs.
- Warm the milk to blood heat and dissolve the yeast in it.
- Add the saffron water to the milk-yeast mixture.
- Beat the eggs and add them to the saffron-milk mixture.
- Add the sugar and beat well until smooth and elastic with a wooden spatula.
- Grease a bowl and put the dough into this bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm site. Allow the dough to rise to double in quantity for at least 90 minutes.
- Mix the dried fruit, candied peel, and currants into the dough. Knead until the candied peel is evenly spread through the dough.
- Transfer the dough to the greased tray. Level and smoothen the top. Prove for 20 minutes.
- Brush the top with cream or whole milk.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown crust.
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes. Slice the cake and serve hot with clotted cream or honey butter.
Notes
- Some recipes add Devonshire clotted cream to the cake. My recipe tastes flavorful without it since you could serve the cake slice with clotted cream on the side.
- If you are allergic to eggs, you could substitute eggs with some cream or whole milk. You could use a cup of cream or whole milk instead of eggs at the end.
- Clotted cream is not easy to come by in the grocery stores. For that extra decadence, I use honey mixed with some butter and the cake tastes simply divine.
- Cake slices can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 4 days and then kept in the refrigerator. On hot days, refrigerate the cake after baking. They can be frozen and eaten at a later date.
- There is no need to add other spices like cinnamon or nutmeg as the saffron lends itself well.
- The cake dough can be shaped into individual buns if you do not like to slice the cake.
Nutrition
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