Agata's Royal Cake with a Hint of Orange and Cardamom - photo 1
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Agata's Royal Cake with a Hint of Orange and Cardamom

Cakes and Bakes Desserts Dishes for Special Occasions 120 min Medium 26 wyświetleń ~53.98 PLN - (0)
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Description

Agata's Royal Cake is a unique, original version of the traditional Polish cake with dried fruits and nuts. It stands out with its extraordinary richness of carefully selected ingredients and the depth of aroma, which it owes to soaking the dried fruits in dark rum with the addition of freshly grated orange zest and a pinch of cardamom. The cake is incredibly moist, dense, and compact, and each bite is a true feast for the senses. Unlike many store-bought versions, this cake is not overly sweet, and its flavor is balanced and noble. It pairs perfectly with afternoon tea or coffee and also serves as an elegant element of the festive table. Its beautiful amber color and the visible gems of dried fruits make it a decoration in itself. This is a recipe that proves that homemade cake can be a true pastry masterpiece.

Ingredients (15)

Servings:
12
  • Mąka pszenna tortowa typ 450 250 g
  • Butter 200 g
  • Cukier drobny do wypieków 10 łyżek
  • Egg 4 szt.
  • Baking powder 10 g
  • Orange 1.3 szt.
  • Dark rum 3.3 łyżki
  • Dried apricots 100 g
  • Dried dates 100 g
  • Dried cranberries 80 g
  • Walnuts 100 g
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 0.1 szczypt
  • Ground cardamom 2 g
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Powdered sugar 30 g
  • Sliced almonds 30 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~53.98 PLN (4.50 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Preparation of dried fruits and nuts

1

Chop all the dried fruits (apricots, dates) into pieces similar in size to hazelnuts. Coarsely chop the walnuts so that they are noticeable in the dough. Leave the cranberries whole. Transfer all the dried fruits to a medium-sized bowl.

Ingredients: Dried apricots, Dried dates, Dried cranberries, Walnuts
Use a sharp knife and a cutting board. To prevent the fruit from sticking to the knife, you can occasionally dip it in hot water. Even pieces will ensure uniform distribution in the batter.
2

Thoroughly wash the orange and scald it with boiling water. Grate the entire zest using a fine grater, being careful not to grate the white, bitter part (albedo). Add the grated zest to a bowl with the dried fruits. Pour dark rum (or orange juice) over everything and mix well. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the fruits to absorb the liquid and aroma.

Ingredients: Orange, Dark rum
The longer the dried fruits soak, the more aromatic and moist the cake will be. You can prepare it even the evening before and leave it in the fridge overnight.

Preparing the dough

3

Preheat the oven to 170°C with the top and bottom heat function. Prepare a baking pan – a loaf pan measuring about 25x12 cm. Grease it thoroughly with butter, then dust it with flour. Shake out the excess flour by turning the pan upside down and tapping it. Alternatively, you can line the pan with parchment paper.

Ingredients: Butter, Mąka pszenna tortowa typ 450
Properly preparing the pan is key to ensuring the cake doesn't stick and can be easily removed. Lining the pan with parchment paper is the safest method for beginners.
4

In a large bowl, transfer the soft butter at room temperature and the fine sugar. Using a mixer with whisk attachments, beat the ingredients on high speed for about 7-8 minutes. The mixture should become very light, almost white, and fluffy like cream. This step aerates the dough and is crucial for its texture.

Ingredients: Butter, Cukier drobny do wypieków
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer. Scrape down the mixture from the sides of the bowl every 2-3 minutes with a silicone spatula to ensure everything is mixed evenly. Don't rush at this stage!
5

Without stopping the mixing on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time. Only add the next egg when the previous one is completely incorporated into the butter mixture. This may take about 30-40 seconds per egg. This way, the mixture will not curdle and will remain smooth.

Ingredients: Egg
If the mixture starts to curdle (looks like sour milk) anyway, don't worry. Add one tablespoon of flour from the measured portion and continue mixing - this should help combine the ingredients.
6

In a separate, smaller bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Sift the all-purpose flour and baking powder, then add salt and ground cardamom. Mix everything thoroughly with a whisk or spoon to evenly distribute the ingredients.

Ingredients: Mąka pszenna tortowa typ 450, Baking powder, Salt, Ground cardamom
Sifting the flour with baking powder is very important – it aerates it and prevents lumps from forming in the dough, which guarantees a lighter bake.

Combining and baking

7

To the soaked dried fruits, add 2 tablespoons of the prepared flour mixture and mix thoroughly so that each piece is coated in flour. This simple trick will prevent all the dried fruits from sinking to the bottom of the cake during baking.

You can gently mix the dried fruits and nuts with the flour using your hands; this is the most effective way to coat them thoroughly.
8

Reduce the mixer speed to the minimum. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg-butter mixture, alternating with the juice squeezed from the orange (from which you previously grated the zest). Start and finish with adding flour (e.g. 1/3 flour, 1/2 juice, 1/3 flour, 1/2 juice, 1/3 flour). Mix only until the ingredients are combined.

Ingredients: Orange
Do not mix the dough too long after adding the flour! This causes gluten to develop and makes the dough tough and rubbery. Mix only as much as needed to ensure there is no visible dry flour.
9

Set aside the mixer. Add the floured dried fruits to the prepared mixture. Using a large silicone spatula, gently fold them into the batter, making motions from the bottom to the top. Do this carefully to avoid destroying the aerated structure of the batter.

Make sure that the dried fruits are evenly distributed throughout the dough, but avoid vigorous mixing.
10

Transfer the thick batter to the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. If using, evenly sprinkle the batter with almond flakes. Place the pan in the preheated oven at 170°C and bake for 60-70 minutes.

Ingredients: Sliced almonds
The batter is very thick, so you need to spread it evenly in the pan to avoid any empty spaces. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven.

Cooling and Decoration

11

After about 60 minutes of baking, check the cake with a toothpick. Insert a wooden skewer into the center of the cake – if it comes out dry, the cake is ready. If there is raw batter on it, bake for another 5-10 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.

Every oven is different, so the baking time may vary slightly. The toothpick test is the most reliable method to check if the cake is baked.
12

Remove the baked cake from the oven and leave it in the pan for 15 minutes. After this time, carefully remove the cake from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Do not cut the cake while it is warm, as it may crumble.

Cooling on a rack ensures air circulation from all sides, preventing the bottom of the cake from becoming damp and soggy.
13

When the cake is completely cool, you can decorate it. Dust it generously with powdered sugar, sifting it through a small sieve for an even layer. The cake is ready to serve.

Ingredients: Powdered sugar
Additionally, you can prepare a glaze with lemon juice and powdered sugar and drizzle it over the top of the cake. However, in this version, dusting with powdered sugar is more than enough.

Fun Fact

💡

The cake known in Poland as keks, or fruitcake, has its roots in ancient Rome, where a barley cake was prepared with the addition of raisins, pine nuts, and pomegranate seeds. In the Middle Ages, it became popular throughout Europe, and due to the large amount of sugar and dried fruits, which act as natural preservatives, it could be stored for many months, making it an ideal provision for travelers and soldiers.

Best for

Boże Narodzenie Wielkanoc Spotkanie rodzinne Podwieczorek

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Royal Cake tastes best when cut into thick slices (about 1.5 cm) at room temperature. It is excellent on its own, but can be served with a cup of Earl Grey black tea, strong coffee, or a small glass of sweet wine, such as Port. Its flavor develops over time, so it is often even better on the second or third day after baking.

🥡 Storage

To keep the cake fresh and moist, after it has completely cooled, wrap it tightly in baking paper and then in aluminum foil. Store in a cool, dry place (e.g., in a kitchen cabinet) for up to 2 weeks. It can also be frozen – either whole or in portions. In the freezer, it will retain its qualities for up to 3 months.

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