Frances O'brien's Porter Cake

Name: Frances O'brien's Porter Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 15 min
Yield: 1 cake
Ingredients: 8 ounces butter (2 sticks); 8 ounces brown sugar; 12 ounces stout beer (Guinness is the authentic ingredient); 28 ounces dried fruit (such as raisins and dates. Don't use candied fruit, it's too much like fruitcake); 20 ounces flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda, rounded; 1 teaspoon mixed spice or 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, rounded; 1 teaspoon nutmeg, rounded; 3 eggs, well beaten

Submitted by Jessie MacMillan

"I got this recipe on a trip to Ireland. I believe that Frances got the recipe from the newspaper, but I'm not sure. She was astonished that I would think there was anything exotic about porter cake, but I had never had anything like it in the US. At a minium I make this at Christmas every year. It's an almost-fruitcake!"

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Ready In:: 4hrs 15mins
Ingredients:: 9
Yields:: 1 cake

ingredients

8 ounces butter (2 sticks)
8 ounces brown sugar
12 ounces stout beer (Guinness is the authentic ingredient)
28 ounces dried fruit (such as raisins and dates. Don't use candied fruit, it's too much like fruitcake)
20 ounces flour
1 teaspoon baking soda, rounded
1 teaspoon mixed spice or 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, rounded
1 teaspoon nutmeg, rounded
3 eggs, well beaten

directions

Combine butter, sugar, & stout in a pan and bring slowly to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.
Add fruit.
Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Grease 10" springform pan.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Mix flour, soda, & spices in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.
Add the beaten eggs & cooled fruit mixture to the flour.
Stir quickly together, mixing well.
Turn into pan and smooth top.
Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan.
Store in an air-tight tin.