Article
Christmas Cake is Still in Fashion
Christmas cake is one of those things people either love or hate. What really surprises me is the different types of cakes that are available and made for Christmas celebrations and of course around the world the difference again. It really is time to start the process, soaking the fruit an preparing the cake so it can mature correctly and by the time Christmas comes the cake is suitably ready.
Christmas cake in my family is the good old fashioned heavy fruitcake laden with with fruit and brandy so by the time it is Christmas, you are face with this luscious moist delectable delight.
I’ve since also discovered some other types of cake that I have made which are equally delicious although quite different to that traditional one I have had in the past. One of the cakes is a very lovely, boiled chocolate and fruit cake and is quite magnificent.
Another is a traditional Sri Lankan Christmas cake which is sweetness to the max. Furthermore I have have also discovered you can make a pretty darn good gluten free cake that lives up to the Christmas cake mantra.
None of these cakes are iced but you can certainly ice any of them with a marzipan, fondant icing or a royal icing .
Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake
750g sultanas
250g raisins
125g currants
50g chopped glace ginger
125g glace cherries
125g mixed peel
1 cup rum, brandy, sherry or orange juice
250g butter or vegan margarine
1 1/3rd cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon zested orange rind
1 teaspoon zested lemon rind
4 eggs or egg substitute
4 tablespoons marmalade
2½ cups plain flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Good pinch salt
Method
Chop all fruit, place in large basin, add rum, brandy or sherry, cover, stand few hours or overnight.
Line a deep 23cm. round cake tin, 19cm or 20cm square tin with two thicknesses of baking paper, bringing paper 5cm above edge of tin.
Cream butter until soft, add brown sugar, beat until just combined; add orange and lemon rind. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, add marmalade. Place creamed mixture into large basin, add fruit mixture and sifted dry ingredients alternately, mix thoroughly. Place mixture into prepared tin, bake in 150C oven 3 to 3½ hours to until cooked when tested.
Poke holes all over the top of the warm cake using a skewer, then spoon over 4 tbsp brandy and leave to cool in the tin for 1 hr. Transfer to a wire rack, remove the baking and leave to cool completely. When the cake is cold, wrap in a layer of baking baking, then a layer of foil before storing. Will keep in a dry, cool cupboard for up to three months, or in the freezer for up to six months.
Gluten free Christmas cake
150g raisins
100g sultanas
125g currants
200g mixed candied peel
100g glacé cherries, halved
2 oranges, zested and juiced
100ml brandy or black tea, plus 4 tbsp
175g butter or vegan margarine, plus extra for the tin
175g dark brown soft sugar
50g treacle
200ml soy milk
2 tbsp cider vinegar
400g gluten-free flour
2 tsp xanthan gum ( can get form most health food shops)
¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Method
The day before you want to bake the cake, combine the raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed candied peel, glacé cherries, orange juice and 100ml brandy in a large bowl. Cover and leave to soak overnight.
Butter a deep 20cm round cake tin, and line the base and side with baking baking. Beat the margarine, sugar, treacle and orange zest together in a large bowl using an electric whisk until smooth and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the milk and vinegar (the mixture will split at this point, but will come back together when the dry ingredients are added, so don’t worry). Mix the flour, xanthan gum, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and cinnamon together in a second large bowl. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry until smooth. Heat the oven to 150C.
Fold the soaked fruit into the cake mixture until combined, then spoon into the tin and level the top with the back of a spoon. Bake for 45 mins, then reduce the heat to 140C and bake for a further 2-3 hrs until the cake is deeply golden and firm to the touch (cover the top of the cake with foil if it starts to darken too much). The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Poke holes all over the top of the warm cake using a skewer, then spoon over 4 tbsp brandy and leave to cool in the tin for 1 hr. Transfer to a wire rack, remove the baking and leave to cool completely. When the cake is cold, wrap in a layer of baking baking, then a layer of foil before storing. Will keep in a dry, cool cupboard for up to three months, or in the freezer for up to six months.
This one is a Charmaine Solomon classic. I can’t take any credit but have made it a a few times and it is lovely. If you like sweet this is the cake for you . Chow chow preserves can be purchased at Asian stores and if you are in Hobart there is a great Sri Lankan store in Goodwood that sells it. If you have no luck with that and it’s a bit far to travel, you can substitute with chunky melon jam or ginger marmalade.
Sri Lankan Christmas cake
250g raisins, chopped
385g sultanas, chopped
250g mixed glace fruit such as pineapple, apricot and quince, chopped, (avoid using fig)
260g preserved ginger, chopped
500g chow chow preserve
120g mixed peel, chopped
260g glace cherries, halved
260g raw cashews or blanched almonds, finely chopped
60ml brandy
375g butter
500g caster sugar
12 egg yolks, (keep the egg whites)
2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons natural vanilla extract
1 tablespoon natural almond extract
2 tablespoons rosewater, or to taste
1 tablespoon honey
250g fine semolina
6 egg whites
Method
Line a 25 cm round or square cake tin with three layers of brown paper, then one layer of baking paper liberally brushed with melted butter. To insulate the tin even more, wrap the outside with a sheet of newspaper folded into three and secure it with kitchen string.
Combine the raisins, sultanas, mixed glacé fruit, preserved ginger, chow chow preserves, mixed peel, glacé cherries and cashews in a large bowl. Pour over the brandy, cover, and set aside. (This step can be done the day before, allowing the fruit more time to soak in the brandy, if desired.)
Preheat the oven to 130ºC. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon zest, spices, vanilla and almond extracts, rosewater and honey and mix well. Add the semolina and beat until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl or pan and use your hands to mix in the fruit until thoroughly combined — it’s much easier than a spoon.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold through the fruit mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 2¼–2½ hours, covering the cake with foil after the first hour to prevent over-browning. The cake will be very rich and moist when done. If you prefer a darker and drier result, bake for 4½–5 hours — it will not be dry, but certainly firmer than if you cook for a shorter time. Allow to cool completely, preferably overnight, then remove the paper and wrap the cake in foil. A tablespoon or two of brandy may be sprinkled over the cake just before wrapping.
And yes you can do a gluten-free version by leaving out the semolina and use a fine polenta.
Chocolate and fruit Christmas cake
Ingredients
350 grams pitted runes
250 grams raisins
125 grams currants
50 grams piece candied citrus peel
175 grams soft unsalted butter or vegan margarine
175 grams dark brown sugar
175 mls honey or brown rice syrup
125 mls Kahlua
2 – 3 oranges (juice and zest)
1 teaspoon mixed spice
¼ teaspoon cardamom
4 tablespoons Dutch cocoa
3 large eggs or egg substitute (beaten)
150 grams plain flour
75 grams ground almonds
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C. Line the sides and bottom of a 20cm deep, loose-bottomed cake tin with a double layer of baking paper.
Line the tin twice with baking paper then, wrap the tin with newspaper making it higher than the sides, and tie it in place with kitchen string.
Place the fruit, butter, sugar, honey, Kahlua, orange juice and zests, spice and cocoa into a large wide saucepan and bring to the boil gently, stirring as the butter melts. Simmer for 10 minutes, and then take off the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
After the 30 minutes are up, it will have cooled a little (though you could leave it for longer if you wanted). Add the beaten eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, however you like, to combine.
Pour the fruit cake mixture into the prepared cake tin. Place in the oven and bake for 1¾–2 hours, by which time the top of the cake should be firm but will have a shiny and sticky look. If you insert a cake tester into the centre of the cake it will still be a little gooey in the middle.
Put the cake on a cooling rack. It will hold its heat and take a while to cool, but once it has, unmould it from the tin and, if you don’t want to eat it immediately (and like any fruit cake it has a very long life), wrap it in baking baking and then in foil and place in a tin.