Christmas Light Cake Recipes

LIGHT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine the raisins, cherries, glazed pineapple, mixed glazed fruit, and citron. Mix well. Stir in the brandy to coat the fruit. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand for about 24 hours to macerate the fruit, stirring occasionally. When ready to mix up the cake, add the coconut and lemon and orange rind. Stir well.
• Prepare 8-inch square fruitcake pan that is 3 inches deep and has a removable bottom: Lightly spray the bottom and sides of the pan with cooking spray. Line the pan (bottom and sides), with brown paper or double thickness of parchment paper. Lightly spray the paper.
• Preheat oven to 275°F.
• In large bowl of stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until mixture is light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure ingredients are all incorporated. Beat 1 additional minute. Beat in the vanilla, almond, and lemon flavorings. Stir in the drained crushed pineapple.
• Sift together 2¾ cups of the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In measuring cup or small bowl, combine the orange and lemon juices along with the reserved ¼ cup of pineapple juice.
• Add the dry and wet ingredients to the beaten butter and sugar mixture in three additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Transfer batter to a very large bowl.
• Sprinkle reserved cup of flour over the macerated fruit and toss ingredients lightly and quickly. Gently fold the fruit mixture into the batter.
• In clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.
• Transfer batter by large spoonfuls into the prepared baking pan. Use a knife to evenly spread the batter in the pan, smoothing the top. Add a few cherries as decorations to the top of the cake, if desired.
• Place small pan of hot water on the lower rack in the oven. Place fruitcake in center of middle rack and bake for approximately 5 - 5¼ hours or until cake is firm to the touch and cake tester inserted into centre of cake comes out clean. After about an hour or so of baking, loosely tent cake with tin foil to prevent it from browning too much. Remove cake from oven and place on rack. Let cake cool in pan for about 40 minutes before carefully removing from pan by inverting it on a tea towel and removing the paper. Carefully turn the cake top side up on to a wire cooling rack.
• Let cake cool completely before brushing well with brandy and wrapping in brandy-soaked cheesecloth, followed by plastic wrap and tin foil. Store in a sealed plastic bag in a cool, dry area. Remove wrapping and brush cake top and sides with brandy once a week for 2-3 weeks as the cake "ages" before cutting and serving.

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.

CHRISTMAS LIGHT CAKE

Steps:

• Warm the jam in a small pan over a low heat until loosened. Brush the fruitcake all over with half the jam. Lightly dust a work surface with icing sugar, then roll the marzipan out into a circle large enough to cover the top and side of the cake - it should be about ½cm thick. Lift the marzipan onto the cake using the rolling pin, then smooth the marzipan down the side and trim away any excess.
• Add a few drops of blue food colouring to the fondant icing, then knead until the fondant is soft and pale blue (see tip, below).
• Brush the marzipan-covered cake all over with the remaining jam. Roll the blue fondant out into a circle large enough to cover the top and side of the cake, then lift onto it using the rolling pin and smooth down the side. Trim away any excess fondant, and smooth out any marks using the palm of your hand. Set aside.
• Mix the icing sugar with 1 tbsp water at a time until you have a thick, pipeable icing (you can use up to 3 tbsp water). Divide the icing between two bowls. Add a few drops of the green food colouring to one of the bowls (leaving one bowl plain), stir to combine, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a medium round nozzle.
• Pipe wiggly lines of the green icing all the way around the top and side of the cake a few times - this will be the 'wire' for the fairy lights. Use the tip of a cutlery knife or teaspoon to dot a small amount of the plain icing onto the backs of the sugared almonds, then arrange these along the piped green wire so the almonds resemble a string of fairy lights.

PATRICIA'S ORANGE ALMOND LIGHT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients in extra large bowl; dd rum and toss until coated
• Cover for 2 to 3 days in a cool place
• Line two 9 x 5-inch (2 litre) loaf pans with 3 layers of parchment paper
• Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; set aside
• Cream butter and sugar together until light, then eat in eggs, one at a time; stir in orange rind and almond extract
• Add 1/3 of flour mixture to egg mixture stirring to combine; add 1/4 cup Grand Marnier until combined
• Repeat with another 1/3 flour mixture, 1/4 cup Grand Marnier and remaining flour mixture, stirring each just until combined
• Stir almonds into fruit mixture; gently fold batter into dried fruit mixture
• Divide and press into prepared pans
• Preheat oven to 250°F or 120°C
• Set a shallow baking dish filled half way with boiling water on lower oven rack; place loaf pans on centre rack
• Bake for about 2 1/2 hours, or until wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean. (You may need to cover the cakes with foil for the last half hour if beginning to crack or browning too quickly.)
• Remove pans to wire racks and brush with remaining 1/4 cup of Grand Marnier; cool completely
• Remove from pans; discard parchment paper
• Wrap cakes in cheesecloth that has been drizzled with a small amount of Grand Marnier or brandy
• Wrap in foil, seal in freezer bags and store in cool place for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 1 year

LIGHT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Wash and dry raisins. Cut peel in paper-thin strips. Blanch almonds, and slice lengthwise. Slice cherries in half. Combine fruit and nuts in large bowl, and add 1/2 cup of the sifted flour; mix until fruit is well coated.
• Grease and line cake pans with 3 layers of heavy waxed paper, or 2 layers brown paper. These round pans are at least 3 inches deep. The small pan is 6 inches across, and the medium size pan is 9 inches across. Grease again. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Cream butter until fluffy; add extracts and lemon rind. Gradually add sugar, mixing until creamy. Beat eggs until light and lemon-colored, and add into creamed mixture. Beat together well.
• Sift together remaining 2 cups flour with the baking powder and salt. Add these dry ingredients alternately with fruit and nut mixture, folding in gently until well combined. Stir in lemon juice.
• Turn batter into prepared cake tins, filling 2/3 full and spreading batter evenly. Bake small cake for 1 1/2 hours, and the medium size cake for 2 hours. Remove from oven. Allow to stand in tin 5 minutes. Turn cake out on wire cake rack to cool.

MY MOM'S LIGHT CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Mix cherries, peel, fruit and juice together well, and let stand for two days, stirring frequently.
• Add to remaining ingredients, mixing very thoroughly.
• Pour into bread pans, and bake three hours at 300 degrees.
• Enjoy some of the happiness we knew!

LIGHT CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Butter and line a 20.5 cm (8 inch) round cake tin.
• Quarter the cherries, wash if syrupy and dry well. Cut the pineapple into small cubes and mix all the fruit well together with 45 ml (3 level tbsp) plain flour.
• Whisk the butter, add the lemon and orange rind, the sugar and continue to whisk until pale and fluffy. Stir in the almonds. Beat in the eggs little by little and lastly fold in the remaining sifted flours, fruit, strained lemon juice and brandy.
• Turn into the prepared tin. Bake in the oven at 170°C (325°F) mark 3 for about 2 1/2 - 3 hours, covering loosely with foil if the top gets too brown. Cool in the tin.
• Store the cake in an airtight tin for at least 1 month before brushing with apricot glaze and covering with marzipan. Leave to dry then decorate with royal icing.

LIGHT FRUIT/CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150c/300f/gas 2. Grease a deep 8 inch round or 7 inch square tin. Line the base & sides with a double thickness of greaseproof paper & then grease this as well. Make sure the paper lining the sides are taller than the tin.
• Beat the eggs & Baily's together in a jug or bowl. Sift the flour, sugar & spices into the fruit mixture. Add the beaten egg mixture to the other ingredients. Beat together thoroughly with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes, until completely combined. DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Level with the back of a spoon.
• Make a slight indentation in the centre of the mixture so it will rise evenly.
• Bake in the centre of the oven 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours. Test the cake after 2 1/2 hours by inserting a clean metal skewer into the centre of the cake. If it is cooked, the skewer will come out clean & the centre will be firm when pressed lightly. If it is not cooked, return to the oven, but test at intervals. If the top is browning too quickly, place a disc of foil or brown paper over it to reduce burning.
• Once cooked, remove from the oven & allow to cool completely in the tin. Turn the cake out onto a wire wrack, leaving the lining paper on. Using a clean skewer, prick the top of the cake in places. Spoon over a dessert spoon of Brandy. Wrap the cake in foil or muslin, if available. Place in an airtight tin.
• Feed the cake with Brandy at intervals (once very two weeks) until required.
• If using as Christmas cake, the cake can be iced as usual, or you can decorate with just a dusting of icing sugar & ribbon.

CHRISTMAS LIGHT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line two muffin tins with 18 paper liners.
• Add cupcake ingredients to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat well, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.
• Divide batter evenly between muffin tin. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
• Using a large round tip, pipe buttercream in a swirl onto the cupcakes. Draw a black line around the surface of the frosting. Stick M&Ms vertically into the side of the cupcakes.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Line cupcake pan with the cupcake liners.
• In a medium bowl, add the cake mix, eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla extract, stir until combined.
• Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full.
• Bake in the oven for about 21 minutes.
• Pull out the cupcakes and allow to cool before frosting.
• Add the white frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe frosting into a swirl on the cupcakes.
• Use the black icing to draw a thin line around the swirled frosting, working from the top to the bottom.
• Press M&M's into the black lined area of the frosting. Repeat this process with all remaining cupcakes.

TRADITIONAL CANADIAN CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Place all fruit in large bowl; add bourbon and soak for 2-4 hours
• Preheat oven to 300°F and grease two 9 x 5 loaf pans 2 1/2 inches deep or five 5 3/4 x 3 pans 2 inches deep
• Line bottoms with parchment paper; butter it (the original recipe was waxed paper)
• Cream together butter and brown sugar; beat in the eggs.
• Sift all dry ingredients; beat into butter mixture
• Add molasses and brewed black coffee or espresso to mixture; combine well
• Fold in the nuts and bourbon soaked in fruit
• Carefully pack the batter into the prepared pans almost to the top (I used an offset spatula to finish the tops of each cake)
• Place pans on centre rack of oven in a bain marie (place pans in a larger pan and pour hot water halfway up the sides); bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours, or until toothpick comes out clean (the small cakes took 50 minutes, so watch carefully after 45 minutes)
• If the tops brown too quickly, place foil over the top
• Cool 30 minutes, then remove and set on wire rack
• Wrap carefully in a triple layer of cheesecloth that has been soaked in bourbon
• Seal tightly in aluminum foil and store in a cool dry place until the holiday season
• Once a week, remove foil, and brush additional bourbon onto the cheese cloth
• The longer it is stored, the more times it is dowsed, the more pungent and flavourful it becomes.

TWINKLING CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS CAKE

Steps:

• First decorate the top of the cake. With the black sparkle gel, pipe three arcs across the top of the cake (These are the wires.) Draw tiny rectangles hanging off each arc, spaced about 1/2 inch apart. (These are the "sockets.")
• Snip the candies in half with kitchen shears. You'll be using the rounded ends; save the other ends for another use (or eat them!). Place each rounded end beneath a rectangle, so the flat cut side attaches to the flat side of the rectangle. (These are the lights.)
• Next decorate the sides of the cake. Pipe wide swags around the circumference, with their ends connected. Pipe rectangle sockets hanging off the wire, just as you did on top of cake. Place candy lights under the sockets.