The Hobbit: Bilbo’s Seed Cakes

Bilbo’s Seed Cakes

“Come along in, and have some tea!” he managed to say after taking a deep breath.
“A little beer would suit me better, if it is all the same to you, my good sir,” said Balin with the white beard. “But I don’t mind some cake-seed-cake, if you have any.”
“Lots!” Bilbo found himself answering, to his own surprise; and he found himself scuttling off, too, to the cellar to fill a pint beer-mug, and to the pantry to fetch two beautiful round seed-cakes which he had baked that afternoon for his after-supper morsel.

The Hobbit

Creating this recipe brought me back to the time when I first read The Hobbit and I just couldn’t get out of my mind what on earth a seed cake was. This delicious treat was brought back to my attention when I created a Lord of the Rings dinner for the restaurant I worked in a few years ago. The addition of caraway seeds were fascinating to me and it brought me more surprise when I found out that seed cakes date back to the 16th – 17th century.

With so much history, I didn’t want to simple create a pound cake with caraway seeds. The traditional recipe was more bread like and was round to look like a round shield. This recipe I have here for you today is baked in mini loaf pans but for authenticity, feel free to bake it in a round cake tin. This recipe is similar to a tea cake and the addition of caraway seeds makes this a great pairing with tea in the afternoon.

I hope you enjoy this really simple recipe for seed cakes. I hear it’s a hit with the dwarves!

Feast of Starlight

The Hobbit: Bilbo's Seed Cakes

Bilbo's Seed Cakes Recipe by Feast of Starlight April-30-2015 A recipe for Bilbo Baggin's Seed Cakes from Tolkien's The Hobbit.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 180 g - butter room temp.
• 180 g - granulated sugar
• 3 - eggs large
• 1 tsp - vanilla extract
• 1 - large lemon zest
• 200 g - all purpose flour
• 2 tsp - baking powder
• 1 tsp - salt
• 100 g - almond meal
• 1 1/2 tbsp - caraway seeds

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. With paddle attachment, mixer butter and sugar until pale.
3. Add lemon zest and vanilla extract. Mix and scrape.
4. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and slowly stream the eggs into the mix on medium speed. Mix until well combined.
5. Add the almond meal in two additions.
6. Add the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt in three additions. Make sure to scrape the bottom and side of the bowl in between each addition.
7. Add your caraway seeds and mix until combined.
8. Scoop the batter into lightly greased mini loaf pans, or small cake rounds, until it/s 3/4 of the way full.
9. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Cool on cooling rack and serve with some fresh cream and jam.