Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (2024)

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (1)

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul’s Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe

Saturday Bakes & Cakes:

All Soul’s Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe

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Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul’s Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe

November is not my favourite month, after the beauty of September and October with the bounty of harvests, crimson and yellow leaves and mellow sunny days, November always seems drab and dull to me, and it’s usually when the grey, wet and cold weather sets in too. Plus, the clocks have gone back, and although we have lighter mornings, I hate the darker and longer nights……it’s almost claustrophobic, with curtains drawn at 5 to 5:30 pm, I miss the daylight. It’s also the month of Remembrance with Armistice Day being on the 11th November and All Soul’s Day (Day of the Dead) being on the 2nd November, today as it happens, and therefore it always seems so sombre. On the run up to Remembrance Sunday last year, I decided to live off WW11 rations for a week, along with two friends Janice and Fiona, you can see my posts here:The Wartime Kitchen:Living of Rations with Ration Book Cooking……..I had planned to do the same thing this year too, but I may have to cut it back to just a couple of days as time is running out! However, I am not in a sombre mood today, as there is a glimmer of sunshine, even if it is only a weak, watery glimmer, and I have a day in the kitchen planned, it’s baking day and I plan to make pies, cakes, bread and biscuits. My first bakes for the day are these Soul-Cakes, a traditional cake-cum-biscuit which were traditionally made on All Soul’s day and distributed by the rich to the poor of the parish.

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Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul’s Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe

All Soul’s Day is celebrated more in Catholic countries now, but we did used to observe it in the UK until fairly recently. It follows Halloween (Hallowe’en), or All Hallow’s Eve as it should be called, and All Saint’s Day(All Hallow’s Day – Hallow being the old English word for Saint)which is on the 1st November, a day devoted to commemorating saints and martyrs of the Christian faith. All Soul’s Day is a day where families visit their family’s graves in France, with pots of chrysanthemums, as an act of remembrance and respect, although in the UK we used to observe it more as an ancient Celtic festival called “Samhain” or “Feast of the Dead” and it as kept as fast day with bonfires lit at night, especially on high ground, in order to light the soul’s way to heaven. And that’s where Soul-Cakes come in the British culinary tradition – “Souling” would take place the night before All Soul’s day, where “Soulers” would travel from door to door begging for soul-cakes and spiced ale in return for prayers and songs.

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Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul’s Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe

But back to the recipe and today, and my LOVELY new baking kit thatwassentto me recently by Churchill China, whom I work with….these little cakes are more like a cross between a scone and a biscuit, and are very easy to make.They are packed with currants and are flavoured with mixed spice. The little cakes are then marked with a cross before being baked and make a simple and lovely treat for afternoon tea nowadays – and, no “souling” is needed to enjoy these today!

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (5)

Churchill China Penzance Baking Pack

My lovely Penzance baking pack that I was sent as part of my ongoing partnership with Churchill China comprises:

Biscuit Barrel (Tin), Tin Tea Tray, Rolling Pin, Set of Measuring Cups, Flour Dredger, Set of 2 Tea Towels, Pudding Basin and an Apron

I was thrilled to bits with my new Penzance additions and I have FOUR special posts and recipes planned to showcase the baking range, as well as a FABULOUS opportunity for my readers to win one of FOUR baking packs here:

Giveaway: Win one of FOUR Churchill China Penzance Baking Packs (RRP: £78:00)

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (6)

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul’s Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe

The rolling-pin is ceramic and is perfect for rolling pastry, keeping itcoolas well as being decorative, and as well as using the little measuring cups for measuring, I also found that they are brilliant when you need to separate eggs!The flour dredger is a wonderful addition to my baking range and looks pretty as well as being practical. And, I am always in need of new tea towels……

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Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul’s Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe

…..and of course I now have an airtight biscuit barrel in which to store my soul cakes too! I am sharing the recipe for Soul-Cakes below, it comes from one my favourite books of all time, Cattern Cakes and Lace; and I havefeaturedit before on Lavender and Lovage here:St Catherine’s Day, Lace Makers and Cattern Cakes

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That’s all for today, I hope you have a lovely weekend, and don’t forget that next week we have another British day to celebrate, Guy Fawkes Night aka Bonfire Night, and I will be cooking up some NEW Bonfire recipes over the weekend, as well assharingsome family favourites such asBonfire Chilli with Beef, Chocolate and Pumpkin…….See you later and DO try these little soul-cakes out, they are easy to make and a real treat! Karen

Disclaimer:I received a Churchill china Penzance dinnerware service for free, in order to share and showcase the china with my readers as part of my sponsored collaborationwith Churchill China. With thanks to Churchill China for sending me some further items from the Penzance range to use and review. I was not asked to write a positive review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Karen S Burns-Booth

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (10)

Cattern Cakes and Lace

Soul-Cakes

Serves 12 cakes
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes
Total time 25 minutes
Allergy Egg, Milk, Wheat
Dietary Vegetarian
Meal type Dessert, Snack
Misc Child Friendly, Serve Cold
Occasion Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving
Region British
From book Cattern Cakes and Lace

These little cakes are a cross between a biscuit and a scone and are traditionally made for All Soul's Day, which is on the 2nd of November. Packed with currants and mixed spice, these lovely little cakes are delicious with an afternoon cuppa. This recipe is adapted from "Cattern Cakes and Lace".

Ingredients

  • 175g butter (6ozs)
  • 175g caster sugar (6ozs)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 450g plain flour (1lb)
  • 2 teaspoons mixed spice
  • 100g currrants (4 ozs)
  • a little milk to mix

Note

These little cakes are a cross between a biscuit and a scone and are traditionally made for All Soul's Day, which is on the 2nd of November. Packed with currants and mixed spice, these lovely little cakes are delicious with an afternoon cuppa. This recipe is adapted from "Cattern Cakes and Lace".

Directions

Step 1 Pre-heat oven to 180C/375F/Gas mark 5.
Cream the butter and sugar together and then beat in the egg yolks, one at a time.
Step 2 Sift the flour into another bowl with the mixed spice and then add them to the butter, sugar and egg yolk mixture.
Step 3 Stir in the currants and add enough milk to make a soft dough, similar to scones.
Step 4 Roll the dough out and cut out little cakes with a biscuit cutter. Mark each cake with a cross and then place them on a greased and/or lined baking sheet.
Step 5 Bake the cakes for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Step 6 Cool on a wire rack and the store in an airtight tin for up to 5 days.

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As these cakes contain currants, I am entering them into Tea Time Treats for November, where the theme is for: DRIED FRUIT

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (14)

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (15)

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul’s Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe

GIVEAWAY to winone of FOUR Churchill China Penzance Baking Packs (RRP: £78:00)

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (16)

Giveaway: Win one of FOUR Churchill China Penzance Baking Packs (RRP: £78:00)

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (17)

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul’s Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe

I am also entering these biscuits into the following challenges:

One Ingredient:Vine Fruits hosted by Nazima of Franglais Kitchenand Laura of How to Cook Good Food

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (18)

Family Foodies challenge: Lunchbox Ideas hosted by Vanestherof Bangers and Mash and Louisa of Eat your Veg

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (19)

The Biscuit Barrel Challenge – November: Festive Biscuits hosted by Laura of I’d Much Rather be Baking than

I am also entering the photos for my recipe into the Sunday Prop Shop which is hosted by Lucy over at Capture by Lucy:

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (20)

Related Posts

  • Lavender and Lace.........continuing with Lavender and Lavender Fairy Cakes ~ Cup Cakes for Forever Nigella

  • St Lucy's Day, A Special Birthday and Saffron Cakes ~ Lussekatter

  • St Catherine's Day, Lace Makers and Cattern Cakes

  • Lavender and Lace........and French Lavender and Vanilla Sugar for Elegant Cakes and Bakes

Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul's Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are soul cakes traditionally made and eaten at Halloween? ›

A soul cake, also known as a soulmass-cake, is a small round cake (though they more resemble in appearance and texture a shortbread biscuit, with sweet spices) which is traditionally made for Halloween, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day to commemorate the dead in many Christian traditions.

What is the rhyme for soul cakes? ›

Soul Cake, soul cake, please good missus, a soul cake. An apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry, any good thing to make us all merry. One for Peter, two for Paul, and three for Him who made us all!” This whimsical rhyme surely sounded across the British Isles beginning sometime around the year 1000 BCE.

What was the usual filling for a Soul Cake? ›

There's also a lot of different recipes available for Soul Cakes, and they're either filled with allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, or ginger and also currants or raisins. They're usually marked with the sign of the cross and they were generally served with wine as an offering to the departed.

Why are soul cakes called soul cakes? ›

These were called soul cakes. Soul cakes date back to the medieval period and they would be given to the poor as they went door-to-door begging during the hallowtide period. Each cake is said to represent a soul in Purgatory and with each cake eaten, a soul would be released and allowed into Heaven.

What is eaten on All Souls Day? ›

Much like Halloween in other countries, All Souls' Day is marked by the consumption of impressive quantities of sugar – particularly in the form of frutta martorana, beautiful marzipan sweets in the shape of fresh fruits and vegetables, and ossa dei morti, almond biscuits.

What is the tradition of soul cakes? ›

By the 8th century, though, soul cakes had been sanctified and civilized. They were used to pay the beggars who came around on All Souls' Eve and offered to say prayers for the family's departed. One cake given, one soul saved — cheap at the price.

What tradition does the giving of soul cakes resemble today? ›

The practice dates back to the Medieval period and continued until the 1930's in some parts of the country. In some countries the giving of soul cakes is still seen today and generally associated with Halloween, or All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (Nov.

What was the purpose of soul cakes? ›

The poor and destitute would go door to door begging for food in exchange for prayers. Each cake would represent a prayer for a departed soul stuck in Purgatory thus the name Soul cakes. This tradition later spread to children knocking on doors for Soul Cakes. Later it became the tradition of Trick or Treating.

What is the meaning of the song Soul Cake? ›

This traditional song is about the processing of. 'souling' once predominant in the British Isles - where. the children and the poor would go from door to door.

What is the begging for soul cakes? ›

Soul cakes played a role in a custom reminiscent of modern-day trick or treating, according to The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, people went from house to house singing and asking for a soul cake. For each cake received, a prayer was said for the dead.

What is the practice where beggars would beg for soul cakes? ›

In exchange for the cakes, the beggars prayed for the generous families' deceased relatives. The practice soon was adopted by the village children, who would "go a-souling" for various edible treats and money. Begging for soul cakes likely is the origin of trick-or-treating.

What is the cake eaten at Halloween? ›

Barmbrack are usually eaten around Halloween in Ireland. In times gone by, items were added to the cake a piece of cloth, a coin, and a ring. Whoever got the cloth would not be rich, the person that got the coin would come into money and the person that got the ring would be wed within the year.

What is a funeral cake called? ›

A dead cake is a type of food that is traditionally eaten at a wake to honour the deceased individual. It is closely related to the folklore of funeral customs.

What is Elvis Presley cake? ›

An Elvis Presley cake is a single-layer classic yellow cake that's topped with a pineapple glaze. Much like a poke cake, the syrup and juices of the pineapple will seep into the cake through fork holes, resulting in a decadent, ultra-moist cake.

Why is it called depression cake? ›

Depression Cake, also known as Wacky Cake or War Cake (among other names), originated in the Great Depression. It is a cake made without milk, eggs, or butter. These were all ingredients that were hard to come by during the Great Depression and at wartime.

Where does the soul cake tradition come from? ›

The tradition of 'souling' and giving out Soul Cakes on All Soul's Day originated in Britain and Ireland hundreds of years ago, from giving out bread on All Souls' Day during the devout Middle Ages (see John Mirk below).

What are cake souls used for? ›

Usage. The Cake Soul can be used by holding right click on a player. After a moment it will turn into a "captured" Cake Soul, displaying the name of the selected player, the date the soul was captured, and the username of the player who initiated the capture.

References

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