Rarely has a dish become so tightly entwined in my memory as English Cake has for me and my beloved cousin, Vivi Pick. I first tasted English Cake when spending weekends with Gad and Vivi in their home in Ramat Gan. The original cake, as made by Vivi, included not just chocolate chips and golden raisins, but candied fruit, too. I loved the cake but hated the fruit. So, for love of me, Vivi would make it the way I liked it whenever I visited. Then she made it that way even when I didn’t visit. When she heard of someone coming to New York, she would send along an English cake. And when I visited Israel with my family, she would present me with two cakes to take with me during my travels. My children knew I didn’t share. Vivi’s English Cake was MINE!!!
Ingredients
7 ounces unsalted butter (14 tablespoons), room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
⅛ teaspoon vanilla
3 extra-large eggs
9 ounces Quark creamy soft cheese (9% milk fat), Israeli "white cheese"
2 cups flour, more for pan
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅜ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons whole milk
½ cup golden raisins (optional)
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Add white cheese.
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add into sugar and egg mixture and blend with hand mixer.
Add milk and combine thoroughly. Add raisins if using.
Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips. Bake 50 minutes, until golden.
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