Oh yes, it’s that time of year again. The countdown to Christmas starts with the creation of the cakes. This year, I had the help (hindrance) of Mini Minion, who needed lots of cuddles whilst I was baking.
This recipe is adapted from Morrisons Rum-Soaked Christmas Cake. It’s actually pretty easy, and homemade Christmas cake is always impressive.
Mmm fruity…
Ingredients:
1kg mixed dried fruit. (You can buy it ready mixed, or mix your own. I used raisins, sultanas, currants, dates, jumbo raisins and cranberrys.)
1 orange (zest and juice)
1 lemon (zest and juice)
100ml rum (or brandy, if you prefer)
Place dried fruit to a large mixing bowl. Add your lemon and orange zest and juice (mine weren’t very juicy so I added a splash of fresh orange juice from a carton and a squeeze of jiffy lemon). Add the rum, and give a stir. Cover with cling film and leave overnight.
50g light muscavado sugar
150g dark muscavado sugar
200g butter (room temperature)
225g plain flour
4 medium eggs
1tsp baking powder
1tbsp marmalade (Homemade marmalade)
2tsp mixed spice (buy ready made, or mix your own)
100g mixed chopped roasted nuts (I chopped and roasted my own, but they burn easily, so watch closely)
To make a cake:
Preheat oven to 170C (150C fan). Grease and double line a 8″/9″ cake tin (a loose bottomed one, or sprung one is great if you have it) with baking parchment. To do this, cut 2 circles the same size as the base (draw around the tin). Cut 2 lengths long enough to go around the inside, then make small cuts along the bottoms so they will sit nicely. Then add a double layer of brown paper to the outside and tie with string. Beat the butter and sugar together well. Start adding eggs, one at a time, mixing as you go. It looks horrible at this point. The first time I made Christmas cakes, I rang my mum in a panic, I thought I’d ruined it already, but it turns out firstly, it’s supposed to look like that, and secondly, these cakes are quite resilient. Anyway, when you have a revolting sugary eggy gloop, start folding in the flour. It’ll look better soon, I promise. Fold in the baking powder, marmalade, nuts, spices and finally soaked fruit.
Looks tastier now, doesn’t it?
Add cake to tin and then tin to oven. After 30 minutes, turn the temperature down to 150C (130C). Bake for a further 3 hours. Test by sticking a skewer in the centre. It should come out clean. Turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool. It will take a while.
Wrap in baking parchment and feed with a tbsp of rum every week (poke holes in the top with a cocktail stick or similar first) until you are ready to ice.
I made my cake at the weekend, the recipe was very similar to this but I didn’t add marmalade. I left it in the oven to cool after cooking it and husband turned the oven on and incinerated it. I will make my next one using your recipe with the marmalade.
Oh no!
I’d probably forget if I left it in the oven. As it is, we have to hide ours from our cat. He’s a Christmas cake fiend.
I’ve never heard of a cat liking Christmas cake! Ours has no interest at all, he does love turkey though!
Our Moriarty is an oddball I think. He likes Christmas cake best, popcorn, some fish and meat, and cat food. Doesn’t like prawn crackers or fish that still looks like fish. We gave him leftover sprats once, as a treat, and he looked at us like we were trying to poison him. Funny kitty really.
great cat name!