Regency Queen Cakes for Jane Austen's Afternoon Tea Party

French Tart's Note:

A wonderful and very well known Regency recipe for individual cakes studded with fruit and flavoured with rosewater and almonds; I am sure Jane Austen would have served these for afternoon tea on dainty plates with her bone china cups and saucers! I remember making these with my Mum when I was little, and of course licking the wooden spoon and scraping out the mixing bowl! They are easy to make and are delicious with an afternoon cuppa or for a lunch box treat. I have not found out the true meaning behind their name yet - but maybe they were aptly named as they were "fit for a Queen" to eat! The use of rosewater and almonds is a lingering memory left over from our Medieval cooking days and was still very much in evidence throughout the Regency period. This recipe makes about 24 to 30 Queen cakes - depending on the size of your tins, but the quantities can be cut back with ease. However, they DO freeze very well, so maybe making a full batch is a good idea - as long as they make it to the freezer!

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Yield: 24.0 Queen C ...

• 450 g self raising flour
• 450 g sugar
• 450 g butter
• 225 g currants
• 110 g almonds, ground
• 6 eggs
• 1 -2 tablespoon rose water
• 1/4 teaspoon mace
• paper, cases

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 190C/374F/gas mark 5.
2. Sift the flour and mace together.
3. Beat the eggs.
4. Melt the butter and allow to cool slightly.
5. Beat the eggs, rose water and melted butter together.
6. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture.
7. Add the liquid mixture and mix thoroughly.
8. Add the currants, sugar and the ground almonds and mix well.
9. Put a heaped spoon of the cake mixture in to the paper cases, or a well buttered patty or muffin tin.
10. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until well risen, firm and golden brown.
11. You can ice them if you wish, using a thin mixture applied with a brush, more like a glaze.
12. Serve with elegant china and some freshly drawn English tea in the drawing room or the parlour!

Reviews

[Aaliyah's&Aaron'sMum]

These are absolutely GORGEOUS muffins! Very easy and quick to make and they turned out very moist. I made the whole batch and got 30 muffins in all since DH wanted to treat 1 of his classes! I used almond essence since DH DETESTS rose water! And the only other change I had to make was add in some golden sultanas since I hadn't realised I didn't have enough black currants :oops:! I didn't bother with the glaze since neither DH nor DD care much for them (unless it's made out of chocolate).. so I just dusted icing sugar on top. Thank you, FT, for sharing yet another wonderful recipe of yours!

[Marlitt]

These were delicious; we all enjoyed them very much. My DD took one bit and went mmm - mmm, which is really something because she likes nothing and rarely comments on food. I only made one change that was because after I started making this I found I had no raises. I cut up some dried apricots and used that instead. I made the full recipe and got 2 full trays of mini muffins 48 and they were gone the next day. I didn't ice them. Thank you for a great recipe I will make these again I already have a request.