Glazed Dublin Tea Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This cake is special. It manages to balance tart and sweet and has a crumb that is as soft as velvet. The recipe comes from The Ultimate Irish Dessert Recipe Collection found on the Fantasy Ireland website, which can be viewed here. The cake is easy to make, but I do have a couple of tips to share with you regarding the ingredients you use to prepare it.  Cake flour should be used if you want a soft crumb and you'll have the best result if all the ingredients, including the buttermilk, are at room temperature when the element of the cake are mixed together. It also important to apply the glaze to the cake while it is still warm. The glaze will not spread properly on a cold cake. In Ireland, this type of cake is usually made with currants, but raisins are used here. If you wish, they can be soaked in juice or a liqueur of some type, but it really is not necessary.  I hope you will give this simple recipe a try. The cake is a perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea  and I think  you'll be delighted with this Irish treat. Here is how it is made.

Glazed Dublin Tea Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Fantasy Ireland

Ingredients:
Cake
3/4 cup  butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1- 3/4 cup cake flour
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup seedless raisins
2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a 9-inch  (7-cup capacity)  loaf pan.  Cut a piece of waxed or parchment paper to fit into bottom of pan and grease it as well.  Dust pan with flour  and tap out excess.  Set aside.
2) Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating each until fluffy. Add cream cheese. Mix well.
3) Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Put raisins in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of flour mixture to  raisins and toss until well-coated.
4) Add remaining flour to batter, alternating with buttermilk. Mix until smooth. Use wooden spoon to stir in raisins and and any excess flour left in bowl. Stir until well-combined.
5) Transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth surface with spatula. Bake on center rack for 80-90 minutes, until well-browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. It is normal for cake to crack on top.
6) Make  glaze while cake is baking by combining sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir until very smooth.
7)  Let cake rest in pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove cake from pan to cooling rack. Spread glaze on warm cake. Let cake cool completely. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Cook's Note:  Cake can be stored 3 days at room temperature in foil or cake tin. Cake can also be frozen up to 3 months if wrapped airtight.








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