A Traditional Anglican Ministry Using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer
A common custom in many cultures is the
Epiphany cake containing a trinket or bean. The person who finds it in his or her piece becomes the king or queen of the
feast. Different parts of Europe have different traditional recipes for the Epiphany cake --
from the almond-paste-filled pastry, the French "galette de Rois" topped by golden paper
crown, to the British fruit-filled, iced and layered confection. Some bakeries feature
these cakes during the holiday season.
This cake is unforgettable to children, and an opportunity to underscore the meaning of Epiphany. A cake studded
with candy jewels like a crown, and/or topped by a golden paper crown can help young children understand the Epiphany
as the recognition, by the Magi ("three Kings"), of the Infant Jesus as Christ the King.
In England, Twelfth Night was traditionally celebrated with a drink called Lamb's Wool,
made of cider or ale, with roasted apples and sugar and spices (see recipe below). It was
the custom to bless apple trees on that night by pouring a libation of cider on them.
Epiphany Cake
Epiphany Cake
Ingredients:
1 C butter or margarine
2 C sugar
Grated rind of 2 large oranges and 1 lemon
2 eggs
2 1/2 C sifted flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 C buttermilk
1 C finely chopped walnuts
Juice of 2 large oranges
Juice of 1 lemon
2 T rum
9 or 10 inch tube pan
small china token or dried bean
cake rack
Cream butter until light and fluffy.
Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add orange and lemon rinds.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Sift together the next four
ingredients and add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until
smooth. Fold in nuts.
Pour the batter into greased 9 or 10 inch tube pan. (If using a fancy pan, be sure
it holds at least 2 quarts when measured to brim with water.)
Make sure you add the token or bean.
Bake in preheated moderate oven (350* F.) for about an hour, or until done. Don't
open the door. Be patient.
While the cake is baking, strain juices into a saucepan. Add remaining sugar and
rum. When the cake is done, remove from the oven. Bring mixture in saucepan to a
boil; pour slowly over cake in pan. If cake does not absorb all of mixture as it
is poured, reserve remainder; spoon on later. Let cake stand for a day or two
before serving.
Garnish the plate with silk flowers and ribbon, if desired.
Lamb's Wool
Lamb's Wool
This Old English and Irish punch, which dates form the Middle Ages, probably gets
its name from the wooly appearance of the flesh of the roasted apples floating in
the cider.
6 baking apples, cored
2 tablespoons to 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 quarts sweet cider, or hard cider, or ale or a mixture of cider and ale
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Roast the apples in a baking pan at
450 degrees F. for about an hour, or until they are very soft and begin to burst.
(An alternative and quicker procedure is to peel and boil the apples until they
are very soft and flaky.) You may leave the apples whole, or break them up. In a
large saucepan, dissolve the sugar a few tablespoons at a time in the cider or ale,
tasting for sweetness. Add the spices. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15
minutes. Pour the liquid over the apples in a large punch bowl, or serve in large
heat resistant mugs.
Yield: About 8 one-cup servings.
Epiphany Cake
