Porter Cake

Mix dark and yellow raisins in a pot, pour in rum and porter, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and let it steep for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2-3 hours or even overnight.

Preheat the oven to 135 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of an 18–20 cm round cake pan with butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper and generously grease the paper with butter.

In a bowl, thoroughly mix flour, baking soda, ground allspice, nutmeg, and salt.

In a large bowl, place the butter, add brown sugar and lemon zest, and beat until light cream color with a hand mixer on medium speed or with a wooden spoon.

Beat the eggs lightly, add a spoonful of flour mixture to prevent curdling, then pour them into the oily mixture and whisk until fluffy.

Add the remaining flour mixture in three portions, mixing until smooth after each addition.

Add raisins and alcohol to the mixture and whip until everything is fully combined. The dough should be quite thick.

Spoon it into the prepared mold. Bake for about 2 hours; the top should be golden brown, the edges should easily come away from the mold, and a skewer should come out clean from the center of the cake.

Remove the form from the oven, flip the cake onto a rack, remove the parchment, and turn it over. Let it cool completely. Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature — it can last 1-3 days. Before serving, slice the cake with a serrated knife.