Tipsy cake sounds like a good recipe for Christmas.

With sherry and brandy among its ingredients, the cake is among the mouthwatering offerings described in Old Yorkshire Recipes by Skipton-based author Joan Poulson

It contains some great traditional recipes, including Skipton Pudding, Shrovetide Fritters (a recipe from Haworth), Pond Cake from Bradford and a ‘Delicious Hash’ also from Bradford.

Old favourites include Yorkshire Pudding, Yorkshire Parkin, Yorkshire Curd Tarts,and many more. The book is illustrated throughout with wonderful old photographs of Yorkshire's towns and countryside, as well as an overview of Yorkshire life through the ages.

First published in 1974, the book is still available in second hand book shops and online and would make a great little stocking filler for a Yorkshire cook, chef or food-lover.

Tipsy cake

Ingredients: 1 large stale sponge cake; 1 pint of thick, rich custard; sufficient sherry to soak the cake; 1 small glass of brandy (optional); half a pint of fresh, double cream; blanched or lightly roasted almonds; apricot jam; glace cherries; strips of angelica (optional).

Method

Split the cake and spread with a good layer of jam. Put the two halves together in a glass dish and carefully pour over the sherry and brandy. Leve to soak for about an hour then cover with the cooled custard. Garnish with the cherries and angelica or with the almonds cut into long splinters and stuck all over. Decorate lavishly with thick cream.

Skipton Pudding

Ingredients: 1 teacupful of flour; 1 level teaspoon of baking powder; 1.5pz of butter; 1oz of sugar; 2 tbsp jam; half a teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.

Method

Put the flour, baking powder and sugar in a basin. Melt the butter and add with the jam. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in half a cup of warm milk and add.

Steam for 2.5hours and serve with rich custard.

Pound Cake

Ingredients: 12oz self-raising flour; 8oz butter or margarine; 8oz sugar; 1 lemon; 4 eggs.

Method

Beat the sugar and butter together until very light. Whisk the eggs and add to the mixture alternately with the flour but a little at a time. Grate the rind from the lemon and add, together with the juice. Put into a well-greased tin and bake at 325F until firm, about one and three-quarter hours.

*Old Yorkshire Recipes is available from theyorkshirepantry.com and amazon.co.uk