Epiphany Cake

The twelfth day after Christmas is Epiphany day (Jan 6), this is said to be the day that the three kinds arrived with gifts to give to the baby Jesus. On the Epiphany holiday the bean cake is served at the end of the meal. A whole bean or almond is placed in the mixture and whoever gets the bean is suppose to have good luck in the coming year. This cake is better made ahead of time and kept wrapped in foil or tight plastic.

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 oranges
3/4 cups orange juice
2 eggs
Self rising flour
a pinch of salt

Method:
Grease a (9") 23 cm mould, or pan with butter, then sprinkle inside pan with flour, tip out any excess flour.
1) Cream butter & sugar, until light and creamy.
2) Add eggs, one at a time beating mixture well.
3) Add orange juice, grate peel from the oranges and add, beat until smooth.
4) Sift flour and salt, fold into butter mixture.
5) Place mixture in 23 cm round mould.
6) Press an almond into the mixture.
7) Cook in a moderate oven for 55 minutes.
8) Turn cake out, dust icing sugar.

Butler, Alex. Christmas of Children  Australia: The Dominion Press, 1979. pg 61

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