Post by Cherry on Jan 19, 2011 20:53:33 GMT
CHRISTMAS CAKE
8in (20cm) square or 9in (23cm) round tin.
6oz(175g) glace cherries
12oz(350g) currants
12oz(350g) raisins
12oz(350g) sultanas
3oz(75g) chopped mixed peel
6 tbsp(90ml) sherry
12oz(350g) butter
12oz(350g) caster sugar
6 eggs
12oz (350g) plain flour
1 1/2tsp(7.5ml) baking powder
1 1/2tsp(7.5ml) mixed spice
3oz(75g) whole blanched almonds
brandy
2lbs(900g) marzipan icing
1 lb (450g) soft royal icing
Wash cherries, pat dry on kitchen paper and halve. Place in bowl with currants, raisins, sultanas and mixed peel. Add sherry. Cover bowl. Allow to stand for 8hrs or overnight.
Make sure butter is at room temperature, so it's easy to cream, giving the cake an even texture. Place in large mixing bowl with caster sugar and beat until mixture is soft, light and fluffy.
Beat eggs in small bowl. Sieve flour, salt, baking powder and mixed spice into separate large bowl. Beat eggs into creamed mixture a little at a time with 1tbsp flour. Gently fold in flour.
Coarsely chop almonds. Add to creamed mixture with soaked fruit and sherry. Stir gently with wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. The mixture should be a stiff dropping consistency.
Spoon mixture into tin lined with baking paper. Make slight dip in middle. Wrap double sheet greaseproof paper round outside to prevent edges from burning. Tie with string. Place tin on baking sheet.
Bake cake at 155degC for 30 mins, reduce heat to 120degC for further 4hrs 15mins to 4hrs. 45mins or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Fan oven temps.
Tips:
I poured about 4 tbsps brandy over cake when hot. Next day, I pricked it with a toothpick and poured more brandy over, then took it out of its tin, turned it upside down, and pricked bottom all over with toothpick and poured about 4 tbsps brandy over. We like brandy on the cake, so the bottom had some more to even it up. It sits wrapped in clingfilm, upside down to flatten the the top until I am ready to ice.
I use heavy brown paper to wrap around the outside of the baking tin, which I tie with garden string. I keep this to use every year because it is cut to size and difficult to obtain these days.
I always use ordinary granulated sugar and reduce the quantity to 10 oz.
I make the whole cake using the hand mixer and then add that to the fruit.
20 years ago I had to make the marzipan with ground almonds and also the soft rollout icing with liquid glucose to make it pliable.
8in (20cm) square or 9in (23cm) round tin.
6oz(175g) glace cherries
12oz(350g) currants
12oz(350g) raisins
12oz(350g) sultanas
3oz(75g) chopped mixed peel
6 tbsp(90ml) sherry
12oz(350g) butter
12oz(350g) caster sugar
6 eggs
12oz (350g) plain flour
1 1/2tsp(7.5ml) baking powder
1 1/2tsp(7.5ml) mixed spice
3oz(75g) whole blanched almonds
brandy
2lbs(900g) marzipan icing
1 lb (450g) soft royal icing
Wash cherries, pat dry on kitchen paper and halve. Place in bowl with currants, raisins, sultanas and mixed peel. Add sherry. Cover bowl. Allow to stand for 8hrs or overnight.
Make sure butter is at room temperature, so it's easy to cream, giving the cake an even texture. Place in large mixing bowl with caster sugar and beat until mixture is soft, light and fluffy.
Beat eggs in small bowl. Sieve flour, salt, baking powder and mixed spice into separate large bowl. Beat eggs into creamed mixture a little at a time with 1tbsp flour. Gently fold in flour.
Coarsely chop almonds. Add to creamed mixture with soaked fruit and sherry. Stir gently with wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. The mixture should be a stiff dropping consistency.
Spoon mixture into tin lined with baking paper. Make slight dip in middle. Wrap double sheet greaseproof paper round outside to prevent edges from burning. Tie with string. Place tin on baking sheet.
Bake cake at 155degC for 30 mins, reduce heat to 120degC for further 4hrs 15mins to 4hrs. 45mins or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Fan oven temps.
Tips:
I poured about 4 tbsps brandy over cake when hot. Next day, I pricked it with a toothpick and poured more brandy over, then took it out of its tin, turned it upside down, and pricked bottom all over with toothpick and poured about 4 tbsps brandy over. We like brandy on the cake, so the bottom had some more to even it up. It sits wrapped in clingfilm, upside down to flatten the the top until I am ready to ice.
I use heavy brown paper to wrap around the outside of the baking tin, which I tie with garden string. I keep this to use every year because it is cut to size and difficult to obtain these days.
I always use ordinary granulated sugar and reduce the quantity to 10 oz.
I make the whole cake using the hand mixer and then add that to the fruit.
20 years ago I had to make the marzipan with ground almonds and also the soft rollout icing with liquid glucose to make it pliable.
