CORINTHIAN RAISIN CAKE

Tourta me Stafides Korinthou

YIELD: 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

This cake is served at breakfast. Many hotels in Greece offer it with their continental breakfast.

       1½ sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

       1¾ cups sugar

       4 eggs

       2 cups milk

       3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

       ½ teaspoon ground cloves

       1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

       1 teaspoon grated orange peel

       3½ cups all-purpose flour

       ½ cup raisins or currants

       3 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

       ½ cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Add eggs, milk, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground cloves, lemon and orange peels, and half the flour. Combine raisins, baking powder, and remaining flour and blend with egg mixture until smooth. Pour into a greased 5 x 9-inch loaf pan (which should be three-quarters full). Bake for 40 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan and turn cake onto a plate. Combine confectioners’ sugar with remaining cinnamon and dust top of cake.