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Torta galesa
Dark fruit and walnut cake
Torta galesa: dark Welsh-Patagonian fruit cake from Chubut, packed with dried fruit and walnuts
Welsh settlers arrived in the Chubut valley in 1865 and their descendants still serve afternoon tea in Gaiman and Trelew, where the casas de té bring out pots of tea, scones, cream cakes and, always, a slice of torta galesa. It is a dense, almost black fruit cake made with brown sugar and black treacle, studded with raisins, candied peel and walnuts, and it was built to last through long Patagonian winters and journeys across the steppe. The crumb is moist and sticky, rich with spice and caramel. An oven that is too hot is the classic error: the outside chars before the middle is set, so it bakes low and slow under a sheet of paper. There's no alcohol in this version; many cooks brush it with rum after baking, so leave that out or use strong tea. Chef's tip: wrap the cooled cake tightly and wait two or three days before cutting; it turns moister and the flavours deepen.
- Total time
- 140 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the fruit
- 9 oz raisins
- 5 ½ oz sultanas
- 3 ½ oz candied mixed peelchopped
- 3 ½ oz walnutsroughly chopped
- ¾ cup hot black teastrong
For the cake
- 7 oz buttersoft
- 7 oz dark brown sugar
- 3 tbsp black treacle or molasses
- 4 eggs
- 12 ½ oz plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp ground mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Put 9 oz raisins, 5 ½ oz sultanas and 3 ½ oz candied mixed peel in a bowl, pour over ¾ cup hot black tea and leave to plump, stirring once.
30 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 300°F (275°F fan). Grease and double-line a 23 cm round or 20 cm square deep cake tin with baking paper.
Step 3: Beat 7 oz butter and 7 oz dark brown sugar until fluffy and paler, then beat in 3 tbsp black treacle or molasses.
4 minStep 4: Beat in 4 eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of the flour with the last one if the mixture starts to curdle.
Step 5: Sift 12 ½ oz plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 2 tsp ground mixed spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 pinch salt over the bowl and fold in.
Step 6: Fold in the soaked fruit with any liquid and 3 ½ oz walnuts until evenly spread through the batter.
Step 7: Scrape into the tin, level the top and make a slight dip in the middle so it rises flat.
Step 8: Bake until dark and firm, and a skewer pushed into the middle comes out clean. After the first hour, lay a sheet of baking paper on top to stop it scorching.
110 minStep 9: Cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely. Wrap in baking paper and foil and keep for 2–3 days before cutting.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does torta galesa take?
- About 140 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 110 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of walnuts?
- Pecans or chocolate chips, same amount.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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