Epiphany and Twelfth Night Cake

Yesterday marked Epiphany, or the end of the Christmas season (Twelfth Night) in the Christian calendar. 
Twelfth Cake was once popularly eaten in homes across England after tea to mark the occasion. 
One of the first references to this cake appears in 1774 when a bean and a pea were inserted into the cake. 
Whoever was served the bean and pea were made king and queen for the day, while other friends and family became their maids of honour and ministers of state respectively.

This tradition changed slightly over the years. During the 19th century a wedding ring, thimble and sixpence were stirred into the mixture. Whoever was served these items would either marry, become wealthy or die as a spinster that same year, depending on what they received.

Twelfth Cake was rather similar to what we know as Christmas Cake today and it was heavily iced and ornately decorated. The 19th century Anglo/American cook William Kitchiner wrote a recipe for icing a Twelfth Cake in 1830:

'Icing, for Twelfth or Bride Cake —(No. 84.)

Take one pound of double refined Sugar, pounded

and sifted through a lawn sieve ; — put into a pan

quite free from grease,—break in the whites of six

eggs, and as much powder Blue as will lie on a

sixpence ;— beat it well with a spattle (spatula) for ten minutes,

then squeeze in the juice of a Lemon, and

beat it till it becomes thick and transparent. Set

the cake you intend to Ice, in an oven or warm

place, five minutes, — then spread over the top and

sides with the mixture as smooth as possible ; — if

for a Wedding Cake only, plain Ice it; — if for a

Twelfth Cake, ornament it with Gum Paste, (sugar paste) or fancy

articles of any description.'

Objects from the Museum of Kitchenalia used to make this icing might include this lovely Victorian juicer.

Victorian glass juicer,1888

©Museum of Kitchenalia