Love Cake with Ceylon Arrack
This was a family recipe that was passed on to me by the owner & Managing Director of Rockland Distilleries. A legacy from the Portuguese who once ruled Sri Lanka. Also, Sri Lanka was known as the spice hub where Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves and Cashews were grown and exported. There are many recipes for Love Cake, but this is my version of using Ceylon Arrack and coconut honey instead of bee honey.
Ingredients
6 large eggs
500g caster sugar
150g unsalted butter
3 tablespoons coconut honey or bee honey
1/4 teaspoon rose essence
100ml Ceylon Arrack
Finely chopped zest of 1 lime or lemon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ground
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
250g raw cashews
250g coarse semolina
125g crystallized pumpkin
Directions
Line a 20 cm x 30 cm cake tin with baking paper. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C (300 degrees F). Or use a square tin 20 cm x 20 cm which is easier to remove the cake from the tin.
Roast the semolina for about 5-8 minutes on lower heat, watch closely so it does not burn. Let it cool for 10 minutes until required.
Beat eggs and sugar until thick and light. Add softened butter mix well. Then add honey, rose water, lime zest, nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon beat well.
Roughly chop cashews and stir together with the semolina and crystallized pumpkin.
Add 100ml Ceylon Arrack and mix everything together, if you think it’s too much alcohol add 50 ml Ceylon Arrack instead.
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 center which is typical of this confection. Leave cake in tin to cool for about 4-6 hours.
Cut into small squares to serve with your favorite cup of tea or coffee.
