A celebration of our national Saint. St. Patrick's Day Irish Whiskey Cake - Day 70 of 100 Food Stories.

​Today we are doing a preamble for St Patrick’s Day with this Irish Whiskey Cake. The light, moist cake has subtle flavours of lemon & cloves, rather like having a Hot Irish Whiskey- very appropriate to honour our national saint.

Ingredients:
7inch round tin, lined with parchment.
225 grms of dried fruit.
150 mls of Irish Whiskey.
Grated rind of 1 lemon.
175 grms softened butter.
175 grms brown sugar.
175 grms plain flour.
Pinch of salt.
1/2 teaspoon ground clove#.
1 teaspoon baking powder.
3 eggs, separated.
​
Icing:
Juice of 1 lemon.
225 grms of icing sugar.

Method:

1. Hop the fruit, lemon rind & whiskey into a bowl & leave for a few hours.
2. Preheat oven to 180 cen & line the tin.
3. Separate the 3 eggs & whisk the egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Set aside.
4. Pop the butter & brown sugar in a bowl & whisk for 5 minutes, until light & fluffy.
5. Then fold in the egg yolks, steeped fruit & flour.
6. Fold in the egg whites, these give the cake an extra lightness.
7. Pour into lined tin, pop in to preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours.
8. Remove from oven & leave to cool in the tin.
9. Meanwhile make the icing.
10. When the cake is cool, turn out onto serving plate. 
11. Drizzle with the icing & decorate with candied lemons & fresh violias.