With reference to Frances Richardson’s letter, I can assure her that Lincolnshire Plum Loaf, or Bread as it’s sometimes called, and Dough Cake are two quite different “cakes”.
Although I cannot recall my late mother ever telling me where her recipe for Plum Loaf came from, I do remember her making hundreds of these cakes for her WI stalls and other fund raising events and there were always two loaves at home in her cake tins.
These were light fruit loaves but had their own unique taste which I cannot seem to recreate with her recipe!
The best dough cake I ever tasted was when I used to stay with my grandma in Surfleet Cheal and was probably bought from either the baker or butcher who called on a regular basis!
As the name suggests it is a yeast-based fruit loaf and quite pale in colour.
Curiosity and nostalgia made me search a recipe for dough cake a short while ago but, again, mine didn’t quite match the original from many years ago!
I believe Myers Bakers in Horncastle make and sell both.
Although I do know of several people who eat a slice of cheese with fruit cake it is one thing I do not like – but I seem to think farm labourers many years ago had both in their packed lunches.
Ann Busby
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