The bridal came; great the feast,
And good the _bride cake_ and the priest.
SMART.
Take four pounds of fresh butter, two pounds of loaf sugar, pounded and
sifted fine, a quarter of an ounce of mace and the same quantity of
nutmegs; to every pound of flour put eight eggs; wash and pick four
pounds of currants, and dry them before the fire; blanch a pound of
sweet almonds, and cut them lengthways very thin, a pound of citron, a
pound of candied orange, a pound of candied lemon, and half pint of
brandy; first work the butter to a cream; then beat in your sugar a
quarter of an hour; beat the white of your eggs to a very strong froth;
mix them with your sugar and butter; beat the yolks half an hour at
least, and mix them with your cake; then put in your flour, mace, and
nutmeg; keep beating it till your oven is ready; put in your brandy;
beat the currants and almonds lightly in; tie three sheets of paper
round the bottoms of your hoops, to keep it from running out; rub it
well with butter; put in your cake and the sweetmeats in three layers,
with cake between every layer; after it is risen and colored, cover it
with paper.
It takes three hours baking.