Recipes from Middle-earth by Harp_of_Gold  

Bilbo's Seed Cake

"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 then to a pantry to fetch two beautiful round seed-cakes which he had baked that afternoon for his after-supper morsel. 

Ingredients:

1 cup (225 ml) milk (any kind)

1 packet yeast (1/4 oz or 7g)

1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick or 113g)

3/4 cup (140g) brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 heaped tbsp seeds (poppy, aniseed, coriander, sesame, etc. I'm using black sesame here)

1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)

1 egg

2 1/2 cups (315g) all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Heat milk to lukewarm (around body heat) and stir in yeast and a pinch from the measured sugar. Let stand while preparing other ingredients.

Melt margarine and beat in sugar, salt, seeds, nutmeg, and egg.

Add flour and yeast mixture to bowl (yeast should be bubbly, if not try again with a fresher packet).

Stir to combine. Beat with spoon or in mixer with dough hook for a few minutes until silky smooth. You should have a thick but liquid batter.

Grease a round cake pan (8" or 9" will work).

Pour batter into pan, cover, and let rise for 30 minutes to an hour.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a knife inserted in middle comes out clean and the top is golden-brown.

For optional glaze, take a few tablespoons of powdered (icing) sugar and whisk in a little milk or juice, a few drops at a time, until you reach a thick, drizzlable consistency. A little rosewater or orange zest is great as flavoring here. Then drizzle over the top of the completely cooled cake. (I used lemon juice and rosewater.)