seed cake

This recipe is a slightly modified version of a recipe I found online while looking for a "medieval" dish to bake. The original recipe called for sugar (which I think is highly unmedieval) and did not specify the type of seed to use; I love the combination of coriander, fennel, and caraway--it gives the bread a complex, licorice-y, and slightly savory flavor that intensifies as the bread ages, and the honey helps the bread stay moist even after a number of days on the counter (wrapped, of course).


1/8 cup warm water with honey or 1/8 cup warm ale
1 package yeast
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups regular bleached or unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup honey
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1/2 tablespoon caraway seed
1/2 tablespoon fennel seed
1/4 tablespoon coriander seed
dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
1/2 cup milk


Preheat oven to 350 °F.
1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water (or ale).
2. Mix flour and salt along with seeds and spices.
3. Cream butter and honey together, then add eggs and beat until combined.
4. Add wet ingredients to the dry, and mix completely.
5. Pour in the yeast and mix.
6. Add the milk and stir. Batter should be a "normal" cake batter consistency. If it is still too dry, add more milk until the appropriate consistency is achieved.
7. Spread batter into a greased 9" baking dish.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for a bit and then turn it over onto a cooling rack.
If you want more sweetness, add this to the top of the cake:

1. 1/4 cup honey
2. 1 tbs lemon juice

Heat until runny, and poke holes in the top of the cake. Then pour the glaze on top of the cake and hopefully the glaze will run down into the holes, making the cake a little moister and sweeter! Sprinkle shaved or slivered almonds on top.