christmas cake

12 ozs plain flour
1x5 ml spoon mixed spice
4 ozs ground almonds
4 medium eggs
1/4 pint milk
I do 1/2 milk and 1/2 brandy
8 ozs butter
8 ozs caster sugar
8 ozs currants
8 ozs sultanas
8 ozs raisins
4 ozs glace cherries
4 ozs cut mixed peel

heat oven gas mark 2 grease and line a 9 inch round or 8 inch square tin

sieve together flour, spice and ground almonds. Beat eggs with milk and brandy.

cream butter and sugar, stir in flour mixture and egg mixture alternately, a little at a time.

lastly add fruit. mix thoroughly.
place mixture in prepared tin.
bake for 31/2 - 4 hours

if you prefer a more open texture use self raising flour in place of plain.

RICH ALMOND PASTE 8 to 9 inch cake
12 ozs ground almonds
6 ozs caster sugar
6 ozs icing sugar
1 medium egg. beaten
1/2 lemon, juice only
place dry ingredients in a bowl.
add lemon juice, then just enough beaten egg to make a pliable dough

ROYAL ICING 8 to 9 inch cake
1 kg 21b icing sugar
5 medium egg whites
2 x 5ml spoon lemon juice
2 x 5ml spoon glycerine may be added to keep icing soft.
lightly beat egg whites with glycerine or lemon juice.
sieve icing sugar, add half to egg whites, beat well.
Add remainder of sugar gradually stirring well until stiff enough to stand peaks in a bowl.
you might want to get a cake board makes it easier for decorating.

Before you marzipan your xmas cake with a palette knife smooth over jam all over the cake then the marzipan will stick better on the cake.

going to be making mine in a couple of weeks time and decorate the top of your cake with santas anything christmassy.

 

Thanks rosa i am going to make mine shortly and the mincemeat..I use more alchol than in your recipe and just organic ingredients so i have an organic cake.. :rolleyes: I will also be xmas pudding making shortly as well..

 

do you use brandy wildflower and how much do you use and you can instead of brandy use rum. al

 

forgot to add wilflower will you put your sweet mincemeat recipe up.

 

Rosa..I soak my fruit overnight in guiness and i use sherry instead of brandy as i am allergic to brandy ...and when the cake has cooled down i usually prick it with a fork and pour more sherry over then i do that every week till i ice it as i dont like dry cake..


Mincemeat i use darrina allens recipe ..

2 cooking apples
2 lemons
8oz beef suet
8oz butter finely grated
4oz mixed peel
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
8oz currants
1lb raisins
8oz sultanas
2lb barbados sugar soft dark brown
3fluid ounces irish whisky or whatever..

core and bake the apples when they are soft peel and mash them up ..grate the rind of the lemons..and squeeze the juice out add the ingredients one by one and keep stirring well..put in clean jars and cover ..this recipe will keep for a year if the mincemeat is in a cool place..
Thats it rosa its just a case of mixing everything together its really easy and tastes better than that mass produced rubbish in the shops..
sorry its in ounces i am too old too understand metric..

 

thats great wildflower thank you will try this, this year, any great recipe for pastry as this is not my strong point it always ends up hard.

 

that sounds lovely pastry what flour do you use plain or s/raising, definately making them got all my recipes together and my shopping list, probably do them in a fortnights time.

 

Well i usually use self raising as thats the only one i buy apart from bread flour ..but its up to you buy whichever you want..This pastry recipe is lovely it sort of tastes rich and crumbly..not white and wax looking like some peoples mince pies..

 

thanks wildflower will definately be making that pastry recipe

 

oh and i nearly forgot i add extra sherry to the mincemeat before i put it in the mince pies..Its no wonder we are overweight..

 

I like the sound of the recipe you use for mince pies Wildflower. I'll try that next year. For the first time in 21 years I won't be making the Christmas cake cos my cooker is useless and burns everything (I also won't have a kitchen). I put black treacle in my cake and cheap sherry, lots of it and I soak the fruit in the sherry for 24 hours before using. Youngest makes Grandma's cake for her, this is a compromise as she wanted to take over from me and I couldn't give up the tradition just yet. Her cakes are just as good though the one she made for their Golden Wedding was very drunk and warmed the back of your throat!

 

naughty but nice mmmmmmmm cant wait for christmas and all that yummy food :D :D

 

Talking of christmas cake receipes. Has anyone got the funny recipe for a cake using whisky?

 

This one ???

Christmas Whiskey Cake

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups flour, sifted

1/2 t. salt

1 cup bourbon

1 pound pecans, chopped

3 cups white raisins (or use candied fruit)

1 t. nutmeg

AND

~ a very large bottle of bourbon whiskey ~



First, sample the whiskey to check for quality.

Assemble all of the ingredients. Check the whiskey again.

To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.

Repeat this step.

Turn on the electric mixer and beat one cup of butter in a large

fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar and cream until beat.

Make sure the whiskey is still okay... try another cup.

Turn off the mixer. Beat six leggs and add to the bowl,

then chunk in the cup of dried flut. Mix on the tuner.

Throw in two quarts of flour. Gradually pour in the cow.

Add 2 dried anything.

If the fried druit gets struck in the beaters, pry it loose with

a drewscriver. Sample the whiskey and check it again for tonsistency.

Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Who cares???


Check the whiskey again.

Now sift the nutmeg and strain your nuts. Add one table.

And the spoon. Of whiskee. Or something. Whatever you find left.

Grease the oven.

Turn the crake pan to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Pour the oven into the batter. Throw the bowl out the window.

Lick the batter off the floor.

Bake 300 minutes at 50 degrees.

Finish the blobble of whishy and flow to bed.

~

 

nice one wildflower never seen that before going to print it out for my friends they will have a good laugh :D :D