Christmas or Wedding Cake

November 7, 2:22 PMPasco County Food ExaminerSusan Slade

Previous Next

3 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Pasco County Food Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

I always baked a Christmas Cake when we lived in England. I used to make it in October and then let it mature. In December I would put marzipan over it, followed by Royal Icing. This rich Christmas cake, and a Christmas pudding, were all about the holidays.

Ingredients:

10 oz. butter or margarine

10 oz. brown sugar

1 level tablespoon black treacle

5 large eggs.

grated rind of 2 lemons

2 tablespoons brandy, rum, or sherry

12 oz. plain flour

half a teaspoon powdered cinnamon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 and a half lb. currants

three quarters of a lb. raisins

three quarters of a lb. sultanas

4 oz. blanched chopped almonds

4 oz. chopped glace cherries

4 oz. chopped mixed candied peel

Cooking time is 4 - 4 and half hours.

Oven temperature 325-350 degs F. Gas mark 3 to start and then reduced to 300 degs. Gas Mark 1 for the second half of the baking.

Firstly cream the butter and sugar with the black treacle and lemon rind. Continue beating until the mixture is soft and light. Whisk the eggs and liquid together and gradually beat them into the creamed butter mixture, adding a little sieved flour, if it shows signs of possible curdling. Mix the fruit with the almonds, candied peel and glace cherries. Stir these into the cake thoroughly with the flour, but do not over-beat the mixture. Put the mixture into a prepared cake tin. For best results use either a 9 inch deep round or 9 inch square shallow tin, and bake it in a very moderate oven for 1 and a half hours, then lower the heat to cool for a further 2 and a half - 3 hours. The time will vary a great deal when cooking rich cakes.

Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin, then turn it out carefully, putting it on a wire cooling tray. To ensure the cake keeps moist wrap it in waxed paper and put it in a tin until ready to ice/frost. Baking with low temperatures in this way gives a wonderfully moist cake. Do look at the cake while it is cooking to make sure it is not over cooked.

This Christmas cake really needs around 6 weeks to mature. This will give it an amazing taste that really can't be bought.

If you have any problems finding the ingredients for this cake you can try either of the 2 British stores that we have in the area. You can always substitute any of your favorite dried fruit and if you can't find black treacle then Golden Syrup will always work.

I will write the directions for making marzipan and Royal Icing closer to Christmas.