It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Christmas is almost upon us (what?!) which means many bakers across the globe are taking up their spatulas and preparing the annual task of the almighty Christmas cake. Any good cake is prepared well in advance-my mum usually bakes hers during October half-term here in the UK, which is usually the last week in October. And oh my goodness, does it make you feel Christmassy!

So this year I've been given a few cake orders which are fruit cakes, just like that favourite Christmas dessert. So I thought I'd share with you guys the different recipes I've used-there's just so many out there, but these two recipes are very different. One is my mum's recipe, its extremely simple and if you're on a budget of any kind for the Christmas season, this is the one to go for-it doesn't have as many expensive ingredients, and there isn't many of them either, but its still packed with flavour and is delicious! The second recipe I chose to use was more of the traditional fruit/Christmas cake. What I mean by that is, it's got a lot more ingredients in which people usually associate with a fruit/Christmas cake, such as mixed peel. But its totally up to you which one you want to use, both pack a punch of flavour-the only difference is the cost!!

Recipe One-the family recipe
1lb Butter
1lb Brown Sugar
1lb Plain Flour
2oz Self Raising Flour
8 Large Eggs
3lb Currants
4oz Ground Almonds

 For a smaller cake:
12oz Butter
12oz Brown Sugar
12oz Plain Flour
1.5oz Self Raising Flour
6 Eggs
1.75oz Currants
2oz Ground Almonds

 Pre-heat the oven to 140 degrees Celsius. Beat together the butter and sugar, and mix in the eggs one at a time, adding a little flour with each one Give it a good beat. Fold in the rest of the flour and the ground almonds. Finally beat in the currants (simple!). Next, line your tin with greaseproof paper, and pour in the cake batter. The next step is probably the trickiest-you need to wrap either brown parchment paper or cardboard around the outside of the tin, and secure it with masking tape (paper) or string (cardboard). This will prevent the cake from burning around the edges before it cooks in the middle. Pop it in the oven for 3.5 hours, and check regularly (approx. every 10 minutes) for the next hour-once it's cooked remove it out of the oven!

 Recipe Two-the traditional way
http://www.womanandhome.com/recipes/531137/traditional-rich-fruit-cake

 I found this recipe on the Woman and Home website, and oh my gosh it's amazing!! If you're a fruit cake fanatic, or just love feeling Christmassy, check this out!
  • 150g  (5oz) glace cherries
  • 350g (12oz) plain flour  
  • 300g  (10oz) currants
  • 500g  (1lb 2oz) sultanas
  • 150g  (5oz) raisins
  • 100g  (4oz) mixed peel
  • 100g (4oz) chopped mixed nuts
  • 2 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla or almond essence
  • grated rind 1 unwaxed lemon
  • grated rind 1 unwaxed orange
  • 300g (10oz) butter
  • 300g (10oz) light muscovado sugar
  • 6 medium eggs
you will need
  • 20cm square or 23cm round cake, greased and double lined with baking parchment

Set the oven at 150c/130fan. Rinse and dry the cherries and squish them with your hand (it's faster than chopping!), then place them in a large mixing bowl with the flour (reserve 1-2 tbsp) and  everything except the butter, sugar and eggs.
In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs into the butter and sugar. Add the reserved 2 tbsps of flour which will prevent the mix from curdling.
Next, mix the butter mixture into the dried fruit, stirring well. Then spread  the cake batter into the baking tin and smooth the top down.
Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 1140c/fan120c and continue to cook for a further 3 hours (checking regularly) until dark golden and firm to the touch.  Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin before turning out. 

And there you have it-two very different but equally scrumming Christmas cakes. Now on both of these recipes, I have omitted the alcohol. Many bakers feed their cakes weekly to give it a bit of flavour and a punch which creates that Christmassy feeling. To do this just buy a small bottle of sherry or brandy, and pierce the top of the cakes and pour small amounts of the alcohol over the top of the cake. You can add or withhold as much as you like, it's all down to your taste!

To decorate your cakes, fill the holes in the sponge with marzipan and then brush the whole cake with either honey or apricot jam. Then roll out a thin layer of marzipan on a top dusted with icing sugar, big enough to cover your cake. Carefully lay it over the cake and smooth it down. Repeat this with white roll-out icing, and voila!



Enjoy, and as always, let me know how you get on!

Charley.

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