Love Cake

A legacy from the Portuguese who once ruled the island of Ceylon as it was then called. There are as many recipes for Love Cake as there are cooks, and as many strong opinions on just how to achieve a soft texture in the centre while having a firm and chewy exterior. The secret is in slow baking and correct size of cake tin.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb Semolina (Wheatlets)
• 1 lb Sugar
• 1/2 lb Butter
• 750 g Cashew nuts
• 6 ozs. Pumpkin Preserve
• 12 Eggs
• 1/2 bottle Rose Essence
• 1/2 bottle Almond Essence
• 1/2 vine glass Brandy
• 1/2 vine glass Bees Honey
• 2 sheets Oil Paper
  

Spices:

• 1/2 tsp each of Cardamon, Cloves Cinnamon (in fine powder form)
• 1/2 tsp grated Nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp Grated Lime Rind

Directions

• Warm Semolina with a few lime leaves. Add the butter to it and heat until well mixed. keep overnight.
• Beat egg yolks with sugar until nice and creamy with air bubbles forming.
• Remove lime leaves from semolina. Add semolina and butter mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and beat well.
• Add cashew nuts (cut) and mix well. Next add pumpkin preserve (cut).
• Add Spices and essences and lime rind.
• Beat 8 egg whites until nice and fluffy and gradually add to cake mixture. Do not make it too watery.
• Line tray with news paper, final layer buttered oil paper
• Bake in slow oven.

Love Cake Recipe #2

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 500 g/1 lb/2 cups caster sugar
• 150 g/5 oz unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons rose water or 1/4 teaspoon rose essence
• finely chopped zest of 1 lime or lemon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 250 g/8 oz raw cashews
• 250 g/8 oz coarse semolina
• 125 g/4 oz crystallised winter melon or pineapple (optional)

Directions

Line a 25 x 30 cm (10 x 12 in) cake tin with baking paper. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C (300 degrees F).

Beat eggs and sugar until thick and light. Add softened butter and honey, rose water, lime zest, nutmeg and cardamom. Beat well. Chop cashews coarsely and stir in together with the semolina and crystallised fruit. Turn into prepared tin and bake in a slow oven for

1 hour or until pale golden on top. If the cake starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Do not use the skewer test, because if a skewer comes out clean it means the cake is overcooked by Sri Lankan standards. It will taste good, but there won't be the moist centre which is typical of this confection. Leave cake in tin to cool. Cut into small squares to serve.