I spent all day at the Temple today so I really haven't done any cooking at home. I do have this gumdrop cake recipe to share with you however that I cooked over the Christmas period and just never got around to showing you. This is my sister's recipe for gumdrop cake and it is the best in my opinion. We also call it rubber spatula cake because my mother once baked the end of a rubber spatula in it. It dropped off in the batter and she couldn't find it, so she baked it anyways. It didn't hurt the cake in any way, and the lucky person who found it got treated to a hilarious story on the side!
American Gum Drops are not easy to find over here in the UK. I usually pick up a bag of them whenever I fly home to Canada for a visit. I bring back a huge bag and throw them into the freezer so I have some on hand when I want them. The candies they sell as gums over here are far too hard to be used for this cake, don't even be tempted. The closest thing I have been able to find to them are fruit jellies. Those softish fruit flavoured jelly candies which have been rolled in sugar.
The cake itself has the texture of a pound cake or a madeira cake, which are pretty much the same thing in my thinking. Both buttery. Both with a dry crumb. Both going down great with a nice hot cuppa or a cold glass of milk.
We have never iced it. I dust it with some icing sugar to prettify it up a bit, but even that is not necessary. Back home you can buy big chunks of this in the grocery store sometimes. When you find them, grab them. They are a real treat. My mom always had a chunk of it in the freezer. We used to have it as a treat along with a bowl of ice cream. Some people add raisins. We don't. We just have the gumdrops in it. They look like little jewels don't you think? Pretty sweet jewels in a moreish cakey crown!
*Cindy's Portugese Gumdrop Cake*
Makes one bundt cake
Printable Recipe
I'm not sure why it is called Portugese Gumdrop Cake or even it is actually Portugese. I only know for sure that is is moist, delicious and chock full of wonderful sweet gumdrops. This is a recipe that my sister gave me a long time ago. You can bake it in a bundt tin, or a couple of loaf tins. If you are baking it in loaf tins, cut the baking time roughly in half. You cannot buy gumdrops in the UK, not that are the same as North American ones. The ones sold over here as gums are far too hard. I always bring my gumdrops back from Canada or prevail upon a kind friend or relative to send me some. You could use cut up fruit jelly slices. They would come the closest.
1 cup of butter (225g)
1 1/2 cups sugar (287g)
3 large free range eggs, separated
3 cups all purpose flour (420g)
2 tsp baking powder
generous pinch of salt
1 cup milk (225ml)
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of candy gumdrops (the sugared ones), cut in half
(Leave out the black ones)
Pre-heat the oven to 150*C/300*F. Grease and flour a bundt pan and set it aside.
Cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, mixing them in wwell. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together the milk, lemon extract and vanilla. In another bowl whisk the egg whites until they are stiff.
Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, alternately with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, making sure to mix it well each time. Fold in the beaten egg whites very carefully with a rubber spatula. Finally fold in the cut up gumdrops. Pour into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing off the top.
Bake for 2 hours in the pre-heated oven, or until it tests down by inserting a toothpick in the centre and having it come out clean. If you feel it is browning too quickly on top, cover it with some aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes at least, before you remove it to a rack to cook completely.
