Spotted Dog

Photo by Nancy Kennedy/Shutterstock

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ cups raisins
• 3 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• Softened butter for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 9-inch round baking pan.
2. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in raisins and caraway seeds. Make well in center and stir in eggs, buttermilk, and butter.
3. Transfer dough to prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour or until top is golden and skewer inserted into center comes out clean.
4. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes and then invert bread onto rack, and let cool completely before slicing. Serve slices spread with butter.

Irish Guinness Oatmeal Cake

(Makes 8 to 10 servings)

Cake Ingredients

• 1 cup McCann’s Irish oatmeal
• 1 ¼ cups Guinness
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons unsalted Irish butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup [Domino] Demerara cane sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon orange zest
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest

Topping Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted Irish butter
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk
• 4 tablespoons slice almonds, toasted

Cake Directions

1. In medium bowl, combine oatmeal and Guinness. Let soak for about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325° F. Generously grease a 9-inch springform pan.
2. In large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
3. In medium bowl, cream butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and then stir in vanilla, orange zest, and lemon zest. Fold in flour mixture, than stir in oatmeal mixture.
4. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack. Pour topping over cake and let cool. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until topping is set.
5. To serve, remove side of pan and then cut cake into slices. Serve warm with ice cream.

Topping Directions

1. In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, and milk. Bring slowly to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth.
2. Remove from heat and stir in oatmeal and almonds.