Wash two pounds and a half of fresh butter in plain water first, and then in rose-water; beat the butter to a cream; beat twenty eggs, yolks and whites separately, half an hour each. Have ready two pounds and a half of the finest flour, well dried and kept hot, likewise one pound and a half of sugar pounded and sifted, one ounce of spice in fine powder, three pounds of currants nicely cleaned and dry, half a pound of almonds blanched, and three-quarters of a pound of sweetmeats cut, not too thin. Let all be kept by the fire, mix all the dry ingredients, pour the eggs strained to the butter, but beat the whites of the eggs to a strong froth; mix half a pint of sweet wine with the same quantity of brandy, pour it to the butter and eggs, mix well, then have all the dry things put in by degrees; beat them very thoroughly - you can hardly do it too much. Having half a pound of stoned jar-raisins chopped as fine as possible, mix them carefully, so that there should be no lump, and add a teacupful of orange-flower water; beat the ingredients together a full hour at least. Have a hoop well buttered; take a white paper, doubled and buttered, and put in the pan round the edge-; do not fill it more than three parts with batter, as space should be allowed for rising. Bake in a quick oven. It will require full three hours. In making cakes of a larger size, put at the rate of eight eggs to every pound of flour, and other ingredients in the same proportion.

The cake must be covered with an icing.