No. 1298 Gateau Britannique à l’Amiral.
Make a sponge-cake of twenty eggs as directed (No. 1369), have a tin mould in the shape of a vessel, which paper well at the sides, to prevent the mixture running over whilst baking (the mould requires to be eighteen inches in length, six in breadth, and high in proportion); butter and lightly flour the interior of the mould, into which pour the mixture, which bake an hour and a half in a moderate oven (this cake requires to be baked a day or two before using); mask the exterior with chocolate iceing (No. 1383) to imitate the colour of a ship, when quite dry partly empty the interior,[16] leaving a piece across in the centre, to fix the mast upon, which you have made of pâte d’office (No. 1137), as also the ladders, rigging, and guns, by rolling pieces of the paste to the thickness required with the hands, cutting them to the lengths required, and baking them a light colour in a moderate oven; mask the guns with chocolate iceing, made rather darker than for the cake, and form the muzzles with small rings of puff paste, place them judiciously at the sides, as also the mast and rigging at their respective places (see design), place the vessel upon a dish, laying rather upon one side, lay rolls of gelée à la bacchante (No. 1240) round, over which lay thin slices of the same to form waves, make the sails of wafer or rice-paper, fix them to the mast as if filled with wind, upon the side the vessel is laying on, have also a flag made of the same material, painted with a little water-colour, which place at the stern; well soak the interior with wine and brandy, mixed with apricot marmalade, just before serving, and when ready fill with a delicate vanilla ice (No. 1381); you have previously formed some ropes of spun sugar, which affix to the rigging at the moment of serving.
This dish has a pleasing effect, and, unlike many ornamental dishes, the whole of it is eatable. It may be rather difficult for many, but with a few trials, aided by the above directions, I flatter myself it may be easily accomplished, but of course a great deal depends upon the taste of the person employed, who, if they could not accomplish one thing, would resort to another, and succeed in making a very handsome dish. Should you have no mould to bake the cake in, bake it in something as near as you can to the size, and afterwards shape it with a knife; and, again, should it be inconvenient to make the green jelly for garnishing, any other description of white clear jelly may be used. The remains and trimmings are very good made into cabinet pudding.