When growing up we always called this bread, Currant Cake. Eithna our mother who thought me how to make this delicious sweet bread never actually added currants but instead used sultanas. Currants would have been a lot less expensive to buy years ago but they were never Mammys favourite.
Currant cake, railway cake or spotted dick are all names for this very traditional Irish soda bread
Eithna’s Currant Cake
Ingredients:
450g Self Raising flour
Half tsp salt
1 round tsp baking powder
50g castor sugar
20g butter
120g sultanas
1 egg beaten
300ml buttermilk
Method
Add the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Add the caster sugar and rub in butter using your finger tips. Add the sultana and mix to combine. Make a well in the centre of the bowl and add the egg and butter milk to make soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and lightly shape into a round ball. Place on a floured baking tray and gently flatten the top of the cake slightly. Cut a deep cross on top and with the tip of a sharp knife, pierce a hole in the centre of each quarter to release the fairies. Bake in a preheated oven 180oC for 45minutes. Test by tapping the bottom of the bread, if it sounds hollow its baked.
Enjoy the day it’s made with butter and homemade jam
