|
Christmas Cake Rich, Fruity, and Dark :)
Author/Submitted by:
Servings: 1
Categories:
Cakes
/
Christmas
/
Desserts
Ingredients:
Fat for greasing 200
g
Plain all purpose flour 1/2
ts
Salt 2
ts
Mixed spice 200
g
Butter 200
g
Caster sugar 6
Eggs beaten 5
tb
Brandy 100
g
Glace cherries chopped 50
g
Preserved ginger chopped 50
g
Walnuts chopped 200
g
Currants 200
g
Sultanas 150
g
Seedless raisins 75
g
Mixed peel cut
Directions:
This is a traditional recipe for a rich fruit cake as made in Britain.
A very rich cake which does not usually appeal to children who prefer
their cake to be lighter and sweeter. Adults, on the other hand,
will 'wolf' it down.
The cake, once made, will keep for months if sealed in paper and then
in an airtight tin. My Grandfather pierce the surface of the cake,
once it was fully cooled, with a knitting pin. He would then pour a
little brandy over the surface and then re-seal the cake back into
it's storage tin.
Line and grease a 8 inch [20cm] cake tin. Use doubled greaseproof
paper and tie a strip of brown paper around the outside. Preheat the
oven to 160c.\325f.
Sift the flour, salt and spice into a bowl. Cream the butter and
sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and
brandy a little at a time, adding a little flour if the mix start to
curdle. Add cherries, ginger and walnuts. Stir in dried fruit, peel
and flour mix. Spoon into the prepared tin and make a slight hollow
in the centre. Bake for 45 minutes, then reduce temperature to
150c.\300f. and bake for a further hour. Reduce the temperature
again to 140c.\275f. and continue cooking for 45 to 60 minutes until
cooked through and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin. Cover the cake
with almond paste [marzipan] and hard icing/frosting.
IMPORTANT NOTES FOR OKIES :-)
Cooking time is almost 3 hours in total.
Sultanas are better known in the USA as Golden raisins.
Plain flour is All purpose flour.
Caster sugar is the type which is a little finer than that you have in
coffee or tea. It dissolves faster than granulated sugar.
Greaseproof paper may be more familiar as baking parchment.
The wrapping of brown parcel paper around the outside of the tin is
very important. It prevents the cake forming a dry crust during the
prolonged cooking. Several layers should be wrapped around neatly
and tied in place. From Ron's Plaice in Blackpool:-)
|
