Christmas Cake, Part 3

The Christmas Cake is wrapped in greasproof paper, then aluminium foil. It has been labelled and it will be stored in an unheated cupboard (I always put it in the cupboard in the dining room) for two months. About ten days before Christmas it will get its layer of almond paste and a week later, royal icing.

More to follow!

Christmas Cake, Part 2

Following baking, the cake cools in its tin next to a freshly-baked granary loaf. It smells gorgeous!

The cake mixture is ready to bake.

The batter mixture sets rather than rise the way a Victoria Sponge would.

BAKING THE CAKE

Measure out

175g Lurpak Lighter

175g dark muscovado sugar

3 eggs

50g self-raising flour

100g plain flour

1 tablespoon black treacle (didn't have any, so used golden syrup)

1 tsp. ground mixed spice

Beat very well together in a food mixer for 3 minutes.

Stir in 50g blanched chopped almonds (this year I used walnuts instead). Stir in all the soaked fruit and sherry (see Christmas Cake, Part 1)

Grease and line an 8 inch/20 cm round cake tin (or a 7 inch/18 cm square tin). Spoon the cake mixture into the tin and level off the top. Put the cake on to a rack in the simmering oven of the Aga for 4 - 10 hours. When cooked, a warm skewer pierced through the centre of the cake will come out clean. If not cooked yet, bake for another 30 minutes or so and test again. Leave to cool in the tin.

In a conventional oven

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275°F (140°C). Wrap the tin in brown paper or newspaper and tie it with string. This is to protect the outside of the cake from burning. Bake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 4-4¾ hours. Sometimes it can take up to ½-¾ hour longer than this, but don't look until at least 4 hours have passed. A fan-assisted oven may need to be set at a slightly lower temperature.

Christmas Cake, Part 1

Started the Christmas cake today! The fruit needs to be soaked in alcohol for three days before it is baked with the rest of the ingredients. It's good to get the cake made before the end of October because to taste at its best, it needs to mature for a couple of months.

The first stage

for an 8" round tin (20 cm)

350g currants

225g sultanas

100g raisins

225g glace cherries

rind of 1 orange

rind of 1 lemon

150 ml sherry

Preparation

Chop the raisins with a damp knife and quarter the cherries. Put the fruit in a container and pour over the sherry and stir in the grated rind. Cover and leave to soak for three days, stirring daily. I also added a couple of tablespoons of Orange Muscat & Flora, left over from last Christmas (it's a dessert wine). I might have added a dash of brandy if I had had some.

More to follow in three days!