1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 teaspoon milk
1/3 cup blanched almonds, split lengthwise into halves
How To Cook:
1. Preheat the oven to 300°.Using a pastry brush, coat the bottom and sides of an 8-by-3-inch spring form cake pan with 1 tablespoon of the softened butter.
2. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of the flour, tipping the pan to spread the flour evenly. Invert the pan, and rap it sharply to remove the excess.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the remaining ½ pound of butter and the sugar together by mashing and beating them against the sides of the bowl with a spoon until they are light and fluffy.
4. Beat in one of the eggs, then ½ cup of flour and so on alternately until all the eggs and the 2½ cups of flour have been added. Beat in the currants, raisins, candied peel, and cherries, pulverized almonds, grated peel and salt, and continue beating until well combined.
5. Stir in the dissolved soda, pour the batter into the pan, and arrange the split almonds on top in concentric circles. Bake in the middle of the oven for 1½ hours, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let the cake cool in the pan for 4 or 5 minutes, and then cool it thoroughly on a rack before serving.
