Christmas Recipes > Christmas Cake
2 cups (1lb) currants
1 1/2 cups (12oz) sultanas
1/2 cup (4oz) almonds
3/4 cup (6oz) mixed peel
1/2 cup (4oz) glace/candied cherries
grated rind of half a lemon and the juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups (12oz) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (12oz) moist brown sugar
6 eggs
3 cups (12oz) plain flour
1/2 level teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 level teaspoon nutmeg
1 level teaspoon mixed spice
1 level tablespoon black treacle
at least 2 tablespoons brandy, rum or sherry as preferred plus extra to "feed" cake when baked.
(see measure conversions for more information)
- Cream butter, sugar and grated lemon rind until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- Mix dry ingredients together well.
- Add to creamed butter etc.
- Combine thoroughly.
- Mix in the chosen alcohol and lemon juice (add a little extra if the mixture seems too stiff) to form a dropping consistency.
- Turn into lined tin, ensure there are no pockets of air and the surface of the mixture is flat.
- Tie a double band of brown paper around the tin - approximately 3 inches above the rim of the tin.
- Place in oven one rung below the middle at 160 degrees centigrade (see temperature conversions).
- Bake for 2 hours and then reduce heat to 150 degrees centigrade for a further 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
- Remove paper and turn cake upside down and make holes with a steel knitting needle or cocktail stick.
- Pour in extra spirit and leave cake upside down until the spirit has been absorbed.
- Wrap the cake in fresh grease proof paper and leave for at least 48 hours before icing.
- Before icing, the cake can be stored for up to 2 months wrapped in foil.
- Keep "feeding" the cake with alcohol until you are ready to put almond icing and then royal icing onto it.
If you have any questions you want to ask or any information you want to share please visit our friendly community forum.
Here are some of the topics being discussed at the moment:
- Christmas Recipes Home Page
- Buy Cookery Books in The Green Chronicle's Book Store.
- See other Food & Drink Websites in The Green Chronicle's Directory.
- Visit The Green Chronicle Shop
Comment Script
How to make Gramum's Christmas cake:
An excellent Christmas cake recipe passed down through many generations. Originates from Tring in Hertfordshire, England. Traditionally served at Christmas teatime.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (12oz) raisins2 cups (1lb) currants
1 1/2 cups (12oz) sultanas
1/2 cup (4oz) almonds
3/4 cup (6oz) mixed peel
1/2 cup (4oz) glace/candied cherries
grated rind of half a lemon and the juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups (12oz) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (12oz) moist brown sugar
6 eggs
3 cups (12oz) plain flour
1/2 level teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 level teaspoon nutmeg
1 level teaspoon mixed spice
1 level tablespoon black treacle
at least 2 tablespoons brandy, rum or sherry as preferred plus extra to "feed" cake when baked.
(see measure conversions for more information)
Method
- Grease a 9-10 inch tin.- Cream butter, sugar and grated lemon rind until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- Mix dry ingredients together well.
- Add to creamed butter etc.
- Combine thoroughly.
- Mix in the chosen alcohol and lemon juice (add a little extra if the mixture seems too stiff) to form a dropping consistency.
- Turn into lined tin, ensure there are no pockets of air and the surface of the mixture is flat.
- Tie a double band of brown paper around the tin - approximately 3 inches above the rim of the tin.
- Place in oven one rung below the middle at 160 degrees centigrade (see temperature conversions).
- Bake for 2 hours and then reduce heat to 150 degrees centigrade for a further 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
- Remove paper and turn cake upside down and make holes with a steel knitting needle or cocktail stick.
- Pour in extra spirit and leave cake upside down until the spirit has been absorbed.
- Wrap the cake in fresh grease proof paper and leave for at least 48 hours before icing.
- Before icing, the cake can be stored for up to 2 months wrapped in foil.
- Keep "feeding" the cake with alcohol until you are ready to put almond icing and then royal icing onto it.
The Green Chronicle Community
If you have any questions you want to ask or any information you want to share please visit our friendly community forum.
Here are some of the topics being discussed at the moment:
- Christmas Recipes Home Page
- Buy Cookery Books in The Green Chronicle's Book Store.
- See other Food & Drink Websites in The Green Chronicle's Directory.
- Visit The Green Chronicle Shop
Post this page to:
Comments
Please enter your comments or questions in the form below. All entries are manually approved before being published so it may be a while before you see your comment on the page.
Powered by Comment Script
thanks
thanks for the recipe
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
GNK
do you need to nadd all these spices?
i don't remeber putting all those in my cakes before '
At the side of your recipe there is a small oblong with a note about fat burning and it uses the lb. for pound in weight. How irritating it is to see lbs. as 'lb.' stands for both singular and plural being librum (s) and libra (pl).