Nancy Cake

From the kitchen of: Nikki Krawitz
(Recipe Origin: Newcastle Upon Tyne, England)

I love this recipe because it’s easy to make, tastes delicious, and reminds me of good times and good friends. It works as a brunch pastry or at another time of day with tea or coffee. I learned to make this when I lived in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, 1971-1973, when my husband had a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne.

We made friends with another couple from the states who lived across the street and Nancy, the wife, gave me this recipe after we enjoyed it one of the many times we got together and laughed until we cried.

Nancy Cake

(Serves 6-8 people)

Ingredients 

• Pastry:

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1/2 cup butter

  • 1 T water

• Topping:

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/2 cup butter

  • 1/2 cup flour

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 tsp almond flavoring

• Frosting:

  • 1 tsp butter

  • 1 cup powdered sugar

  • 1 to 2 T milk

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup apricot, peach or strawberry preserves

Instructions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Pastry: Cut butter into flour as for pie crust (I do this using a food processor). Add water and blend. Divide into two equal parts. Cover an ungreased baking sheet with aluminum foil. With the heel of your hand, work each half of the dough into a strip about 12 in. x 4 in. or a little larger. An inch between the two strips is adequate.

Topping: Bring the butter and water to a hard boil. Add the flour all at once. Remove the pot from the heat and beat the butter, water, flour mixture until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, and then add the flavoring. Spoon the topping over the top of each strip, smooth to the edge of each strip. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. During the baking the top will puff but then fall during the cooling.

Frosting: Make a powdered sugar frosting. Melt about 1 tsp. butter in a saucepan and then gradually add powdered sugar and small amounts of milk vigorously stirring with a spoon after each addition until you have a consistency where the icing will drip slowly from a slotted spoon.

Add a drop or two of almond flavoring to taste. Spread apricot, peach or strawberry preserves over the pastry and then drip frosting from a slotted spoon to form icing strips over the preserves.