CookEat Recipe
Simple Family Ring Cakes
Two plain lemon-scented ring cakes, shaped from a firm dough and finished with an egg-yolk glaze.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 500 g strong plain wheat flour; 180 g caster sugar; 95 g butter: 90 g for the dough and 5 g for the tray; 15 g cream of tartar; 5 g baking soda; 2 whole eggs; About 80–140 ml milk, added only as needed; Finely grated zest of 1 lemon; 1 additional egg yolk for glazing.
Step 2
Heat the oven to 175°C. Grease a large baking tray with the 5 g tray butter. Mix the cream of tartar and baking soda and set aside. Melt the 90 g dough butter gently and let it cool until lukewarm.
Step 3
Make a well in the flour and add the melted butter, two whole eggs and caster sugar. Mix with milk, adding it little by little only until you have a firm, pliable dough. Knead thoroughly for about 8–10 minutes. Depending on the flour and egg size, the milk needed may differ from the working range.
Step 4
Add the reserved powders and lemon zest last, distributing them thoroughly but promptly. Divide in two and shape into rings with generous holes, about 9–10 cm across in the centre and 4 cm thick through the dough. Space them well apart on the tray; they expand during baking.
Step 5
Make a few shallow cuts in the upper surface, brush with the extra beaten yolk and bake immediately for about 25–35 minutes until golden and cooked through, with no wet dough on a skewer. Cool on a rack before slicing.
Step 6
For one larger ring, use all the dough, keep a very wide central hole and allow about 35–45 minutes at 175°C, checking that the centre of the dough is set. For a smaller batch, halve all dough quantities, beat one yolk and use only enough for a thin glaze, and make one of the smaller rings.
Step 7
Instead of the lemon zest, flavour the same dough with about 1 teaspoon lightly crushed anise seeds or about 30 g candied citron cut into small pieces, adding the chosen flavouring with the powders at the end. Use just one of these alternatives. The tray butter may be replaced by the same amount of rendered lard.
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