Rich Black Bun

Name: Rich Black Bun
Yield: Makes one 10–12 inch / 25.5–30.5 cm cake
Cuisine: United Kingdom
Ingredients: 8 oz / 230 g chopped figs or dates; 8 oz / 230 g chopped figs or dates; 8 oz / 230 g stoned prunes, chopped; 1 lb / 455 g seedless raisins; 2 tsp ground cloves; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 4 oz / 110 g flaked almonds; 6 tbsp coarse marmalade; 1 egg yolk; 4 tbsp whisky; 1 tsp ground cardamom; 2 tsp ground ginger; 1 tbsp skimmed milk; 3 tsp dried yeast; ¾ pt / 430 ml warm skimmed milk; 12 oz / 340 g unsalted butter; 1 lb / 455 g currants; 2 lb / 900 g strong plain flour; ½ tsp salt

Preparation info

Makes
one
10–12 inch 25.5–30.5 cm cake

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Times Cookbook

By Frances Bissell

Published 1995

About

A dark fruit cake enclosed in dough, this is traditionally eaten in Scotland at Hogmanay.

Ingredients

Dough

3 tsp dried yeast
¾ pt / 430 ml warm skimmed milk</

Europe
United Kingdom
Dessert
Cake
Vegetarian

Method

First make the dough. Sprinkle the yeast on the milk, and let it work for 10–15 minutes. Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl, and then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the yeasty liquid and knead it until smooth on a floured worktop. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea-towel wrung out in hot water, and put it to rise in a warm,