Nancy Birtwhistle's Christmas Cake
We’ve still got Halloween and Bonfire Night to come… but it’s already time to start looking forward to Christmas. Now is the perfect time to put on that festive apron, and stir up your Christmas cake. Nancy Birtwhistle shows you why making your Christmas cake this early, will enhance the flavour and guarantee a more delicious festive treat on the big day.
Nancy Birtwhistle's Christmas Cake
Recipe taken from book - Sizzle & Drizzle The Green Edition by Nancy BirtwhistleMakes: x9 3 Inch mini cakes
Ingredients
1Kg Mixed dried fruit and peelFinely grated zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon100g glace cherries (cut into thirds)4 tbsp cointreau, brandy, sherry (or 4 tbsp extra fruit juice or cold tea)250g salted butter250g dark brown soft sugar1 tbsp golden Syrup or Black Treacle5 eggs (beaten together in a mixing jug)250g plain flour1 tsp ground mace (or 2 tsp ground nutmeg)1 tsp mixed spice1 tsp ground gingerHalf tsp ground cinnamon
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 100°c (fan) and grease and line 9, 3 inch round baking tins/ recycled baked beans tins.
2. First thing in the morning (or last thing at night) put mixed fruit, fruit zests, fruit juice and cherries in a large bowl and add the cointreau or other liquid, stir and cover with a plate then leave until the evening, the next morning – or several days if you are busy.
3. When you are ready to mix – cream together the butter and brown sugar until pale, light and fluffy.
4. Add the syrup or treacle and continue to mix. Gradually incorporate the beaten egg a little at a time along with a teaspoon of flour. This helps to prevent the mixture from curdling. When all the egg has been incorporated gently fold in the rest of the flour which has been sifted together with the spices.
5. Finally, fold in the soaked fruits.
6. Transfer the mix to the prepared mini baking tins and distribute evenly between all nine. Bake for 5.5 hours.
7. The temperature of your oven is critical – even 10 degrees out will make a difference. I would suggest you check your oven temperature with a thermometer or alternatively before removing your cake from the oven you check with a temperature probe that the internal baked temperature is 97-99 degrees centigrade.
8. Leave them to go completely cold before carefully removing them from the tins. Leave the baking paper on the cake then wrap it in foil and place in a tin in a cool place.