luxury tried and tested christmas cake recipe please

[debster]

this year i want to make my own christmas cake abd would like a recipe that others have tried and tested
thanks  ;D

[debster]

[Borlotti]

I have a very good one, will dig it out and type it up for you.  I am a useless cook but can cook this every year with success.

[Borlotti]

Recipe as requested:

Christmas cake (rich)

1/2 lb flour
small teaspoon baking powder
Good pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
1/2 lb butter
1/2 lb demerera sugar
1/2 lb raisins
1/2 lb currants
1/4 lb mixed peel
2 ozs. ground almonds
5 eggs
l tablespoonful brandy or rum
6 ozs. sultanas

Method
Beat butter and sugar to a soft cream.  Beat eggs for five minutes.  Add to butter mixture by degrees, beating all the time.  When mixture is quite smooth, continue beating while you add (flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon powder sieved together).  Gradually mix in the fruit and almonds.  Stir in the brandy or rum and turn into a tin that has been lined with a double thickness of greaseproof paper.  Bake in a slow oven, cover with greaseproof as soon as it is brown, should always be made at least a month before required.

Time 5 hours.  Temp.  Electricity 325 F. Gas Mark 2.

Leave decorations, icing etc up to you.

[debster]

thank you Borlotti what size tin would that make?
could i add some chopped nuts and cherries if i wanted and what would i omit?
is it worth soaking the fruit in alcohol or something before making the cake?
sorry for all the questions
dont want to ask cheffy (husband) as i want to make it  ;D

[Borlotti]

I only know that recipe works.  I really couldn't say if you could add extra. Other people will probably send you their recipes and see which one you like the look of.  I normally make two as I like to eat a piece with coffee everyday after Christmas.  I have a round tin that measures (just go downstairs and get the tape measure) 7 and one quarter inches diameter and 3 and a half inches height, (can't type fractions) and it has a drop out bottom if you know what I mean.  I line the sides and bottom with well buttered greaseproof paper to stop it sticking.  Have also cooked it without the alcohol for people that don't drink and it still tastes OK. If you want extra alcohol make a small hole and gradually add a little more after it has cooked and cooled, after say a couple of weeks to keep it moist.  Keep in a tin until you ice it just before Christmas.  Good luck.

[debster]

now borlotti thats a great idea make a trial run one then i can eat it  now lol
debs  ;D

[PurpleHeather]

Made this last year

It gives all sorts of variety of sizes.

Found it perfect have made again this year.

http://www.imaginativeicing.demon.co.uk/ChristmasCakeRecipe.html

[debster]

ooh superb

[Fork]

Christmas cake.........YUK!......what a waste of oven space  ;)

[debster]

youwont be wanting a slice with a cup of tea then Forky??  ;D
mince pie instead?

[Fork]

Only one mice pie?

I would need at least two please ;D

[PurpleHeather]

You can most certainly mix and match different dried fruits and nuts in a rich fruit cake.

Just chop them up and put a drop of tipple over them the night before.

I do actually do this and they get all sorts If I have bits left over. Prunes, dates, mango, pineapple, candied peel. Make sure that the overall dried fruit mix is about the same as the total volume the recipe says.

I sometimes vary the spice I add and the sugar can be any shade of brown if you haven't enough you can add some white.

The worst problem can be a too hot oven  which will burn the cake. My gran always put a round of greaseproof on top after the first half of the cooking to stop this.

Let us know how you get on.

[Jeannine]

I like the one in Australian Womans's Weekly, very moist, fruit it soaked in booze for a couple of weeks before making the cake, it is never dry which I hate in a Christmas cake.

JeannineXX

[Borlotti]

Fork, I don't fancy a mice pie, would rather have my lovely Christmas cake. Ha ha.

[Borlotti]

Just went to Sainsburys for a walk and a nose as it was too wet to go to the allotment.  They have a small reduced price section for Xmas cakes but the woman before me got the last bag of ground almonds and I hadn't got the recipe with me and didn't know what I had in the cupboard.  If the weather stays bad will cook it or them next week.  I usually make two cakes as I find that I have enough ingredients for two, and hate waste.  It does say in my recipe to cover the cake with greaseproof paper once it is brown, didn't do this one year and it got burnt on top and I had to slice the top off so it is a good idea to remember this.  I then spread apricot jam on it and marzipan but like the stiff icing in peaks.  Must look up a recipe for that, cheated last year and bought it and just rolled it out but it was flat.  The weather here today is so bad it feels like Christmas.  Just bought some turkey breast for my old cat who is not eating and sleeping in the bath, for some strange reason and not taking his thyroid pills.  He is as thin as a rake and keeps crying for food.  The vet said to give him all he wants to eat as he is not getting any nutrition from it. Got some liver and liver pate as they disguise the taste of the pills.  He is not unhappy or in pain but gone a bit odd.  Not sure I can afford more blood tests at £50 or whatever as he is 17 years old. 

[susan1]

made my cake yesterday,

10oz butter
10oz dark brown moscovado sugar.
1 Level tbs black treacle,
grated rind of 2 lemons.
2tbs rum brandy or sherry.
12oz plain flour.
1/2tsp cinnamon 1tsp mixed spice.
1 1/2lbs currants,
3/4 lb sultanas
3/4 lb raisins.
4oz chopped blanched almonds.
4oz chopped mixed peel
4oz chopped glace cherries.


Put all fruit into a large bowl add brandy or whatever you have decided on,add flour and spices.



cream butter and sugar with black treacle and lemon rinds until soft whisk eggs and add to mixture a little at a time.

add all fruit and mix. But do not over beat.


cake tin 8ins square deep or  9ins deep round. Use greased proof paper about 3 inches  higher that top of the tin.

cooks in 3 3/4  ----4 1/2 hours

gas mark 3  325-350f  for 1 1/4 hours then  turn oven down to gas 1--2  300f for a further  2 1/2 --3 hours.

give this at least 6 weeks to mature feeding it with brandy or rum or the sherry, about once a week.

I have made this cake every year for the last 20 years or so and last year  made 3, one each for son and daughter ;D

[littlebabybird]

Borlotti
is it royal icing you want?
4 egg whites
4 teaspoons of lemon juice
2 1/4 lb icing sugar

whisk the egg whites
stir in the lemon
add the sugar bit by bit
keep beating for ages till its bright white
make a cup of tea and rest for an hour (your arm will be killing)

ok the easy way to put it on the cake
put 1/2 on the cake spread it all over and down the sires with a warm pallate knife
then plonk the rest on and do the peaky thing :) or smooth it again
lbb

[Borlotti]

Thanks for the icing sugar recipe.

[Doris_Pinks]

My friends Mum was a nurse, and she used to load up a syringe with Brandy, and inject the cake daily for weeks before! :o ;D ;D

[debster]

well i made a cake the other day to try the recipe, i didnt soak the fruit over night this time but will next time and the cake is gorgeous will be making the real one very soon  ;D