Two granddaughters have solved the mystery of an iconic Bewley's Cafe dessert that was lost for twenty years.
The Mary Cake was first introduced in the Grafton Street cafe in 1956 by a Hungarian refugee but the recipe was lost during renovations.
The dessert is described as "mini towers consisting of a rich chocolate filling on top of a sponge base, all encased in chocolate and topped with a disc of marzipan".
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Bewley's have unsuccessfully attempted to recreate the recipe from memory many times over the years since it was lost.
However, everything changed when Hazel Carmichael, based in London and granddaughter of Bewley’s owner Victor Bewley, began to do some detective work to crack the mystery recipe.
She managed to track down Carolina Malagon who is the granddaughter of Henry Spelter.
Henry was a confectioner who fled Budapest after the Hungarian Uprising in 1956.
He came to Ireland and was one of a number of refugees who were offered training and employment by Bewley’s.
He created the cake in collaboration with Hazel's great-uncle Alfred and based it on a Hungarian Marika Cake recipe that was adapted to suit the Irish palate.
Hazel searched for Henry and found he had emigrated to the US and passed away just a week prior aged 95.
His obituary mentioned his previous work in Bewley's and Hazel left a message of condolence.
Just one month later, Hazel got in touch with Henry's granddaughter Caroline who lives in New York and discovered she was equally intrigued with the cake, as Henry had continued to make it when he moved to the US.
The two became friends and started to work on trialling different ingredients to find the original recipe.
One day, while doing a trial workshop in Bewley's, Hazel discovered a Bewley’s Bakery cost ledger from the 1970s which listed the ingredients in large quantities.
Then, she followed the clues that her Uncle Alfred had replaced the original Hungarian cream with butter, and added good quality chocolate and the Mary Cake was reborn.
Hazel said she feels she has treaded in the footsteps of her great-uncle Alfred by trialling this recipe.
“I have repeated what Alfred and Henry did 65 years ago – taken a Hungarian Marika recipe and adapted it for the Irish palate of the day," she said.
“This is a story about refugees fleeing war and coming to Ireland, bringing with them their skills and heritage, and what can happen when these skills are recognised and given a chance to flourish.
“The story of the Mary Cake can teach us a lot about welcome, respect and opportunity for all."
The cakes are now being sold in Bewley's again with in aid of the Irish Red Cross, with €1 from every purchase going to support the charity.
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