British Christmas Cake Recipes

CHRISTMAS CAKE - EASY MOIST FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Place dried fruit and juice/brandy in a large microwavable container. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes on high or until hot.
• Stir to coat all fruit in liquid. Cover then set aside for 1 hour (to plump up/soak and cool).
• Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan). Grease and line a 21 - 22 cm / 8 - 9" round cake pan with baking paper (parchment paper) (7 cm / 2.75" tall).
• Using an electric beater, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute on speed 5).
• Add oil and molasses, beat until combined.
• Add salt, spices and baking powder - beat until incorporated.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated
• Stir in the flour.
• When mostly incorporated, stir in the fruit mix (including all the extra liquid in bowl) and walnuts (if using).
• Pour into cake pan, cover with foil and bake for 3 hours 15 minutes, removing foil the last 45 minutes. Skewer inserted into middle should come out clean with no batter on it.
• Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.
• Cake is moist and so full flavoured, it can be eaten plain. But see below for decorating and serving ideas (traditionally served with pouring custard).
• Cutting: Either cut into thin wedges, or cut cake into thin strips (2cm / 0.75" or so), then cut those strips into serving size pieces.
• Traditional White Christmas Cake (pictured in post) - Marzipan and fondant, see Decorating Note.
• Simple - pile top with fresh cherries or other fruit, dust with icing sugar (powdered sugar). Wrap a ribbon around the cake for extra touch!
• Drippy white glaze - use the glaze in this Lemon Cake recipe, but leave out the lemon juice (ie make a plain sweet white glaze). Flip cake upside down for flat surface then glaze per that recipe.
• Serving - serve with custard for a traditional experience! Either homemade custard or store bought pouring custard (jazz it up by mixing in vanilla seed paste!).

CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates, and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 1/2 cup flour.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, then wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.

TRADITIONAL BRITISH CHRISTMAS CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 300 F/150 C/Gas 2.

ENGLISH CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Grease an 8 inch square baking dish and line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir with a whisk until blended. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until each one is blended in. Stir in the dry ingredients just until moistened, then fold in the raisins, golden raisins, currants, cherries and almonds.
• Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Make a slight impression in the center with the back of a spoon so the cake will turn out level. Cover and leave in a cool place overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place the cake pan on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 4 hours in the preheated oven. When the cake is done, a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean. Cool in the pan for 1 hour, then turn out onto a wire rack and remove the paper. When completely cool, poke with a skewer every inch or so, and spoon brandy into the holes. Wrap in waxed paper and store in a cool place until serving.

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2. Grease a 20cm/8inch round or an 18cm/7inch square cake tin and line the bottom and sides with baking parchment.
• Sieve the flour, salt, mixed spice and cinnamon into a bowl.
• Cream the butter and the sugar in a large mixing bowl and then mix in the sugar, treacle, marmalade and vanilla essence until light and fluffy.
• Mix the eggs a little at a time into the mixture adding a tablespoon of flour mixture with the last amount.
• Fold in the remaining flour mixture until well mixed and then mix in the dried fruit, mixed peel, glace cherries and the almonds.
• Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and make a slight hollow in the centre.
• Bake in the oven for 3 hours and then test with a skewer. If not ready bake for up to another hour testing every 20 minutes until the skewer comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes.
• Turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool.
• Once cool, make a few holes in the cake with a skewer and pour over 3-4 tbspof brandy. Let the brandy soak into the cake.

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• The day before you intend to bake the cake, measure out the brandy and port, into a large saucepan. Then add the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, dried fruits, mixed peel, nuts and zest's. Now stir and bring the mixture up to simmering point, then, keeping the heat low, simmer very gently for 10 minutes. After that allow everything to cool then pour the mixture into an airtight plastic container and leave it in a cool place overnight. Remember to take the butter out of the fridge so it will soften. When you are ready to bake the cake, pre-heat the oven to 140°C, gas mark 1. All you do is measure out the flour, sugar and softened butter into a very large mixing bowl then add the eggs and with an electric whisk, beat until everything is evenly blended. (Use a wooden spoon if you don't have an electric whisk). Now use a large metal spoon to gradually fold in the fruit mixture until it's all evenly distributed. Then spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, levelling the surface with the back of the spoon. Finally cover the top of the cake with a double square of parchment paper with a 50p-size hole in the centre (this gives extra protection during the long slow cooking). Bake the cake in the centre of the oven for 4 hours until it feels springy in the centre when lightly touched. Cool the cake for 45 minutes in the tin, then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling. When it's completely cold, wrap in double greaseproof paper and then foil and store in an airtight tin or polythene box. This cake eats very well as it is but if your want to use some of the brandy from your storecupboard, you can 'feed' it by making small holes in the top and bottom with a cocktail stick and spoon in a couple of tablespoons of brandy then it wrap it in double baking parchment and foil or store in an airtight tin. You can now 'feed' it at weekly intervals until you eat it as it is or ice it.

TRADITIONAL BRITISH CHRISTMAS CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 300°F/150°C/Gas 2 The temperature is low as the cake needs a long slow bake. It is packed with sugars, fruits and brandy and if the temperature is any higher the outside of the cake will burn and the inside be undercooked. Line a 9 inch cake tin with 2 thicknesses of parchment or greaseproof paper. Tie a double band of brown or newspaper paper around the outside. This acts as an insulator and to prevent the cake from burning on the outside read more about why here. In a large roomy baking bowl mix the currants, sultanas, raisins, peel and cherries with the flour, salt and spices. In another large bowl cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon zest. Add the beaten egg to the butter mixture a little bit at a time, beating well after each addition - do not try to rush this process as the mixture could curdle. If it does curdle simply add a tbsp of flour and mix again, this should bring the mixture back together. If it doesn't come back together, don't fret, the cake will still be delicious. Carefully fold in half the flour and fruit into the egg and butter mixture, once incorporated repeat with the remaining flour and fruit. Finally add the brandy. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin making sure there are no air pockets. Once filled smooth the surface with the back of s spoon and make a slight dip in the center (this will rise back up again during cooking and create a smo

BRITISH CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Grease a 8 inch square cake tin; line it with greased greaseproof paper. Tie double brown paper round the outside.
• Sift the flour and spices together into a large mixing bowl and stir in the grated lemon rind.
• Cream the butter in a separate bowl and gradually beat in the sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the treacle and fold into mixture.
• Add the eggs beating the mixture after each egg.
• If the mixture curdles add a little flour.
• Lightly fold in the sifted flour with the fruit, nuts and mixed peel until evenly distributed.
• Add and mix in the brandy ( 3 tablespoons )
• Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and level the surface. Knock tin to get rid of air bubbles.
• Make an indentation in the centre to allow for the cake rising in the centre. Cover and leave in a cool place for 24 hours.
• Place an ovenware container of water on the bottom of the oven. Then place cake tin on a double piece of brown paper on middle shelf of oven and bake at 150 deg. C or 300 deg. F for 4 hours.
• Test to see if cooked by inserting a skewer in the cake which should come out clean.
• Cool cake in the tin for an hour then turn out onto a wire rack and remove the paper.
• When cold, prick the cake top with the skewer and spoon the remaining brandy over the cake surface. Wrap in fresh greaseproof paper then foil.
• Place inverted into an airtight tin for at least one month before covering the cake with almond paste. Finish off with royal icing and decorate to your preference.