A piece of xmas cake. Photo: Tastyart Ltd / Rob White/Getty Images
Grateful though i'm to Hazel Hook for offering me her foundation-stone dish for a traditional Christmas dessert, having its all-important dining table for loads, actions and tin sizes, countless Christmasses ago, I have departed notably from the woman strictures.
To tell the truth, I do not constantly get it collectively which will make a conventional xmas cake (which requires some time and energy to sit and mellow to-be as good as it could be) therefore I have a tendency to rustle up either the Incredibly effortless Chocolate or Gorgeously Golden Fruit Cake (or both) on eleventh hour. But a traditionally iced and comfortingly ornamental Christmas time cake is a lovely thing, and when efficiency permits, should-be welcomed.
This variation creates on the Time-Honoured Christmas time Cake of early in the day publications, but cuts down on kinds of dried fruits, augments liquor (bourbon for inclination, but brandy or sherry will do), and adds surface almonds and chopped pecans. It bakes really, and may be iced beautifully, and is a satisfying method to get Christmas time truly going in the kitchen.
Little dessert |
Medium dessert |
Huge dessert |
|
---|---|---|---|
raisins | 350g | 700g | 1kg |
currants | 150g | 300g | 500g |
glacé cherries | 50g | 100g | |
chopped pecans (or walnuts) | 75g | 225g | |
bourbon (or brandy) | 200ml | 400ml | 600ml |
butter | 450g | ||
darkish sugar | 90g | 180g | 275g |
lemon zest, grated | 1 tsp | 2 teaspoons | 3 teaspoons |
big eggs | |||
black colored treacle or molasses | 1 tablespoon | 2 tablespoons | 3 tablespoons |
almond essence | ½ tsp | 1½ teaspoons | |
plain flour | |||
floor almonds | |||
ground cloves | ¼ tsp | ¾ tsp | |
ground cinnamon | |||
floor ginger | |||
tin: round | 18cm | 23cm | 25.5cm |
or square | 15cm | 20cm | |
heat | 150C/gas mark 2 | 150C/gas mark 2, decrease to 140C/gas mark 1 after one hour | |
cooking time | 1¾ – 2¼ hours | 2¾ – 3¼ hours | 3¾ – 4¼ hours |
yield | approx. 12 pieces | approx. 16 pieces | approx. 20 slices |
Spot most of the dried fruit in a saucepan, and include the bourbon or brandy. Provide the boil, then remove it the warmth, covering once cooled, and allow it to steep overnight, covered. And then make yes you take your eggs and butter out of the refrigerator so they will undoubtedly be at room-temperature for the generating regarding the cake tomorrow.
The next day, preheat your oven to 150C / gasoline mark 2, and prepare your tin, (see below). Cream the butter and sugar collectively, after that overcome in the grated lemon gusto.
Include the eggs one-by-one, beating really after each addition, then overcome into the black colored treacle and almond plant.