Anvil Cake

A huge cake baked in a forge fire

This large, anvil shaped cake is traditionally eaten on Midday, 25th of Feastcall during Forge Day celebrations every year. The cake can be small and flat, but many communities hold a competition to see who can make the heaviest (and biggest) anvil cake. The cake can be made up to a month in advance, but it doesn't hang around long once people tuck in!
Villages traditionally cook a large anvil cake in a cooling forge fire but most households use their own conventional ovens.
The traditional recipe uses brandy soaked dry fruits but other cultures have developed their own unique twist to the recipe such as using a crunchy waffle cone within the horn of the anvil.
The cake can either be cut into slices, or smashed with a forge hammer and the pieces served using tongs.
Bramble Street Bakery currently hold the record for the biggest anvil cake, with last year's cake being twice the size of a standard blacksmith's anvil. To serve it, they dropped a real anvil from a height on top of it, causing cake to fly everywhere. They really put on quite the show!

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Sheets of metal may be used for structural support for life-size anvil cakes so that the horn doesn't break off under its own weight.

Manufacturing process

Pre-soak the dried fruit with brandy for one day and one night. Let the forge fire cool down to a good heat and start preparing the ingredients. First, beat the butter and sugar until creamy, then beat in the eggs one by one. Add the flour, mixed spice and soaked dried fruit (including its left over liquid). Stir well and put it in a cake tin, or several if you are using layers to construct an anvil. Cook for a few hours and test it with a skewer, if the skewer comes out clean then the cake is ready (if not keep cooking until it's done). Once cooked, leave on a rack to completely cool. Keep the cake covered or in a tin with a tight fitting lid in a cool dark place for 1 month. Every week poke holes in the cake with a skewer and feed with little more brandy. A week before Forge Day, the cake can be iced if desired.

Significance

Forge Day is a celebration of creativity in all forms, from the arts, to experimental creativity, and also cooking! Many communities have now adopted this tradition and make a group effort to use their local blacksmith's forge for this special event.

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Item type

Consumable, Food / Drink

Weight

1kg+

Dimensions

Varies

Raw materials & Components

mixed dried fruit, oranges, brandy, Barlor butter, sugar, hens eggs, flour, mixed spices