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Breakfast cakes

Breakfast cakes arranged on a decorated plate. One cake cut in two and buttered. Silver coffee pot, silver milk jug, coffee in a white and pink cup and saucer. Embroidered white tablecloth.

Enriched breads were popular breakfast fare throughout Europe from at least the sixteenth century. In eighteenth century Britain, breakfast usually consisted of cooked meats and eggs accompanied by bread. It is not clear whether these fruited buns accompanied or replaced a cooked breakfast. This recipe is based on that of Elizabeth Moxon in English Housewifry (1764).

Equipment

  • Weighing scales
  • Measuring jug
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Small saucepan
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Baking sheet
  • Clean tea cloth
  • Pastry brush

Preparation method

  • Grease the baking sheet with a little lard.
  • Place the water in the saucepan and heat to 30C/86F.
  • Transfer to the measuring jug, whisk in the yeast and teaspoon of sugar and leave to stand for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.  
  • Sift the flour into the large mixing bowl.
  • Add the caster sugar and nutmeg and stir thoroughly. 
  • Place the butter in the small saucepan and heat until melted.  Allow to cool a little.
  • Place the eggs in the medium mixing bowl and beat together with the electric hand whisk.
  • Add the brandy, cream and melted butter and whisk in.
  • Add the currants and stir in.
  • Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture in, along with the yeast mixture.  
  • Use your hands to bring everything together to a very wet dough.
  • Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for 8 minutes or so until silky and elastic. As the dough is so wet it will stick to the board as you knead it. Just keep stretching the dough, gathering it up as it spreads with a metal or plastic dough scraper.
  • Divide the dough into 8 and use the palms of your hands to roll into balls.  Place them on the greased baking sheet.     
  • Cover with the clean tea cloth and leave to rise for 2 hours in a warm place until doubled in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas 5.
  • Place the cakes in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
  • Just before you take the cakes out of the oven, place the golden syrup in the small saucepan and heat until runny.
  • As soon as you take the cakes out of the oven use the pastry brush to glaze the tops of the cakes with the golden syrup.  Allow to cool a little before serving – they should be served warm.

Note: I prefer to knead by hand, but you may favour using a dough hook attachment in a stand mixer. Just take off a couple of minutes from the recipe’s kneading time if you use one.
For tips and advice see my guide on making bread.

Georgian

Serves:
8
Prep Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • Lard for greasing
  • 10 g dried yeast
  • 100 ml water
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 500 g strong bread flour
  • ½ tsp grated nutmeg
  • 140 g caster sugar
  • 2 medium eggs and 1 medium egg yolk
  • 4 tbsp brandy
  • 140 ml double cream
  • 120 g butter
  • 200 g currants

For the glaze

  • 2 tbsp golden syrup

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Breakfast cakes
Serving Size
 
152 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
498
Percent of Daily Value*
Fat
 
16
g
25
%
Saturated Fat
 
9
g
56
%
Cholesterol
 
94
mg
31
%
Sodium
 
21
mg
1
%
Potassium
 
116
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
74
g
25
%
Fiber
 
2.4
g
10
%
Sugar
 
24
g
27
%
Protein
 
11
g
22
%
Calcium
 
34
mg
3
%
Iron
 
116
mg
644
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Keywords

Bread, Dried fruit

© Dr Caroline Gordon 
2025
Illustrations by Chichi Parish