Cookbook:Christmas cake
From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection
| Christmas cake | |
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| Category: | Dessert recipes |
| Servings: | 10 |
| Time: | 4 days approx |
| Difficulty: |  |
Cookbook | Recipes | Dessert Christmas cake is a fruitcake traditionally served around Christmas in the United Kingdom, especially after long walks to be had with tea.
This is a traditional, somewhat extravagant recipe which is quite easy to make, but steeping the fruit should be done over a long time for best results. The resultant cakes should last in very good condition for several months if kept whole in air-tight tins.
[edit] Ingredients
To make a round 10-inch diameter cake.
- The fruit
- 600 g currants
- 400 g sultanas
- 400 g glacé cherries, quartered
- 200 g raisins
- 100 g cut candied peel
- 200 ml sherry
- 100 ml brandy
- 50 ml kirsch (or rum)
- The cake mixture
- 4 medium eggs
- 300 g lightly salted soft margarine (The "Stork" brand is traditional)
- 300 g dark brown sugar
- 100 g self-raising flour
- 200 g plain flour
- 100 g finely-chopped almonds
- 2 teaspoons of ground mixed spice
- 2 tablespoons of black treacle
[edit] Method
- The fruit
Place all the fruit in a large bowl and pour the spirits over the mixture. Cover the bowl in metal foil and leave in a cool place. Mix and stir the fruit every day for at least three days; after a fortnight most of the alcohol will have soaked in and further soaking has no benefit.
- The cake mixture
First beat together the sugar and margarine with the eggs. Add the almonds and black treacle and mix further. Sieve the flours and the mixed spice into the mixture, beating until a smooth mixture results. Then combine with the pre-prepared fruit (above) and place in a tin lined with baking parchment.
- Cooking
To be done.
