I know the thought of making a Christmas cake fills most people with dread - probably anticipating a dry overcooked cake; I have devised this easy foolproof recipe that delivers a lovely rich & moist cake every time. The ultimate secret is to use an Aga Cake Baker, I have a pretty ancient one - a new one will cost approx £90, but you can pick up a good second-hand on EBay.
To make the cake: line an 8”/21cm tin with greaseproof paper.
Ingredients: 1 cup dark brown soft muscovado sugar 1 tspn bicarbonate soda
375g tin crushed pineapple 1 tspn mixed spices
8oz/225g raisins 4oz/110g butter 3 eggs
4oz/110g sultanas 1 cup plain wholemeal flour
40z/110g currants 1 cup self raising flour
Put into a saucepan the sugar, pineapple, dried fruit, bicarb, spices and butter, boil for a good five minuets, or until the colour goes a dark brown, keep stirring to avoid the mixture from sticking to the saucepan. Allow the mixture to cool then stir in the eggs and fold in the flour. Put in the prepared tin and bake for approx 1.5 hours at 180c/gas 4, reduce heat and leave for another 20 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean. When cool remove from tin and peel off the greaseproof paper. Place on a cake board, brush the top with apricot jam, rollout the marzipan and place on top of the cake, and decorate with ready to roll fondant icing, or royal icing if you prefer to finish with a snowy effect. Fix a decorative cake band to the side and add a few festive decorations to the icing. Hey presto you should now have a delicious/moist cake that looks kitsch and festive.
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