aquarius1984
Well-known member
I thought it would be a nice idea to look at Christmas Cakes, I dont recall a thread ever being made about what recipes we use for the crowning glory of most christmas buffet tables.
This recipe is a family one that to the best of my knowledge has been used for the best part of 90 years or more on my mothers side of the family.
It is a boiled fruitcake and contains no nuts or candied peel - I rather think the addition of these would rather spoil it so Ive never even tried, not to mention I find that both of these ingredients are things people can take or leave anyway.
This cake is really at its best when baked the last week of September/First week of October and wrapped first in greaseproof paper and then foil and stored in an airtight tin and fed 1 to 2 tablespoons of whisky every couple of weeks.
I would usually decorate it first with marzipan on the 22nd of december and then with the royal icing the following day. I personally dont like dried out marzipan, instead I like it soft so I dont follow those rules of leaving it to dry for too long. The cake is really rather morish so the icing discolouring isnt ever really an issue as its usually devoured within 2 weeks at most!
7 inch square tin, simply greased with lard and lined with greaseproof paper.
Oven Gas mark 3 or 130 Fan /140 static heat.
8oz Raisins
8oz Sultanas
6oz Currants
4oz Glace cherries 1/2'ved
1 dsrt sp Golden Syrup
1dsrt sp Black Treacle
6oz Granulated sugar
8fl oz Sherry - QC was the one that we used.
6oz Butter
1tsp Bicarbonate of soda (NOT BAKING POWDER)
1tsp Mixed Spice
Put all these ingredients into a large roomy pan or pot and slowly bring them upto the boil on the hob occasionally stirring to make sure the butter melts and mixes in evenly.
Simmer this for 8 to 9 minutes until it is syrupy - the consistency is not really thick but its not sloppy.
Cool until absolutely cold.
Next mix in 3 large beaten eggs and 8oz SELF RAISING flour. Folding is preffered here but not too carefully - I just find mixing it with a metal spoon is better than a wooden one which can somehow mix it too much making it claggy.
Bake in the oven for around 1 hour 30 and upto 2 hours depending on your oven, checking with a skewer and covering the top with foil as required to stop over browning. This cake is a dark brwon colour anyway similar to malt loaf.
Cool and feed with 2 tbsp Brandy, then wrap. Store and feed with whisky as above.
This recipe is a family one that to the best of my knowledge has been used for the best part of 90 years or more on my mothers side of the family.
It is a boiled fruitcake and contains no nuts or candied peel - I rather think the addition of these would rather spoil it so Ive never even tried, not to mention I find that both of these ingredients are things people can take or leave anyway.
This cake is really at its best when baked the last week of September/First week of October and wrapped first in greaseproof paper and then foil and stored in an airtight tin and fed 1 to 2 tablespoons of whisky every couple of weeks.
I would usually decorate it first with marzipan on the 22nd of december and then with the royal icing the following day. I personally dont like dried out marzipan, instead I like it soft so I dont follow those rules of leaving it to dry for too long. The cake is really rather morish so the icing discolouring isnt ever really an issue as its usually devoured within 2 weeks at most!
7 inch square tin, simply greased with lard and lined with greaseproof paper.
Oven Gas mark 3 or 130 Fan /140 static heat.
8oz Raisins
8oz Sultanas
6oz Currants
4oz Glace cherries 1/2'ved
1 dsrt sp Golden Syrup
1dsrt sp Black Treacle
6oz Granulated sugar
8fl oz Sherry - QC was the one that we used.
6oz Butter
1tsp Bicarbonate of soda (NOT BAKING POWDER)
1tsp Mixed Spice
Put all these ingredients into a large roomy pan or pot and slowly bring them upto the boil on the hob occasionally stirring to make sure the butter melts and mixes in evenly.
Simmer this for 8 to 9 minutes until it is syrupy - the consistency is not really thick but its not sloppy.
Cool until absolutely cold.
Next mix in 3 large beaten eggs and 8oz SELF RAISING flour. Folding is preffered here but not too carefully - I just find mixing it with a metal spoon is better than a wooden one which can somehow mix it too much making it claggy.
Bake in the oven for around 1 hour 30 and upto 2 hours depending on your oven, checking with a skewer and covering the top with foil as required to stop over browning. This cake is a dark brwon colour anyway similar to malt loaf.
Cool and feed with 2 tbsp Brandy, then wrap. Store and feed with whisky as above.
