Fourth Of July Cake (yeast Cake)

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110 to 115 f)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar (divided)
• 4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (divided)
• 1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine, 2 sticks, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mace
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 2 tablespoons sweet sherry
• 1 cup seedless raisin
• 1 cup dried currant
• 1/2 cup citron, thinly sliced

Recipe

• 1 for the cake: soften yeast in warm water. beat in 2 tablespoons of the sugar and 1 cup of the flour. cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size.
• 2 blend butter or margarine with salt, spices and remaining sugar. beat in eggs, 1 at a time. add next 5 ingredients. mix well. beat in remaining flour and continue beating until batter is smooth. turn into a greased 10 x 4 inch tube pan. cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 2 hours.
• 3 bake in a preheated moderate oven 350°f 1 hour or until browned. turn onto a wire rack to cool. spread top and sides with butter cream frosting. if desired, place boxwood or blueberry leaves around the top edge of cake. yield: one 10-inch tube cake.
• 4 for the butter cream: add sugar and cream or milk alternately to butter or margarine, using just enough to make frosting of smooth spreading consistency. stir in 1/4 teaspoon mace and vanilla extract. spread over cold cake. yield: frosting for top and sides of a 10 x 4 inch tube cake.
• 5 the spice cookbook.