Cassell's Universal Cookery Book (1894) is such a lovely recipe collection that once I've finished a dessert, I want to make another. Today's post features a cake from that book which is extravagant: the Sovereign Gâteau. It probably owes its name to its bright yellow topping, which is made with gold leaf. My own version though is orange, like the cake served by the Dutch on the birthday of their sovereign. Its colour symbolizes their reigning dynasty, Orange-Nassau, a branch of the German House of Nassau that settled in the Low Countries. In 1515 a member of this branch gained access to Orange in southeastern France, by marrying its princess. His son René had no children so he bequeathed Orange to his first cousin William provided that he became a Catholic. Better known as William the Silent (1533-1584), the cousin did as he was told. He inherited both the name and the lands of René, including Orange. He was also favored by the Emperor and his sister. After Charles V died, his son King Philip II of Spain made William stadtholder, i.e. governor, of several Dutch provinces. The stadtholder gradually freed himself from the Spanish influence, leading a revolt in 1568 that would initiate the Eighty Years' War. Meanwhile he reconverted to Lutheranism. The Netherlands declared their independence in 1581 but William had made a lot of enemies in both Spain and France. He survived a murderous attack but was assassinated in 1584 by a supporter of Philip II. He married four times, had several children and was the great-grandfather of William III Prince of Orange, who became the king of England, Scotland and Ireland through marriage and challenged the power of Louis XIV of France.
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| William of Orange, 1555 (portrait by Antonio Moro) |
But let's return to Sovereign Gâteau:
"Sovereign Gâteau. - Required: a cake, and sauce, &c., as below. Cost, varies with adjuncts. Take a plain border mould, rather deep, and bake the cake in it. This may be made the same as SWISS ROLL, or GENEVA PASTRY, well coloured with yellow colouring, and a few ounces of oranges and apricots cut up and mixed in. When baked, serve cold as a cake, with a decoration of glacé or Vienna icing flavoured and coloured to taste (orange is the most suitable flavouring), or as a sweet with SOVEREIGN SAUCE. Some gold leaf jelly (or, if that is not convenient, some good lemon jelly) should be cut up and piled in the centre of the border. Another way of finishing off is to cut up shapes of either of these jellies for the garnishing of the dish, omitting the sauce: the gâteau should then be soaked with a little syrup (see page 1049) and some whipped cream be put in the centre: this is to be dredged with orange sugar or grated orange peel."
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