Saturday, November 10, 2007

Cake On Me

So, the vote says make a Christmas cake, and here it is! I don't much like candied peel so I've left it out and used ginger instead and I'll be feeding it with Courvoisier until it's time to it ice it.

Makes 1 family-sized cake
250g sultanas
250g raisins
250g currants
100g glace cherries, halved
100g chopped glace ginger
4 tablespoons brandy, plus extra for dowsing
250g salted butter, room temperature
250g light muscovado sugar
250g plain flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
5 eggs, room temperature
100g pecans, each snapped into 4 - 6 pieces
grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange

23cm round tin or 18cm square tin, greased and lined

1 Place the fruit and ginger in a bowl and stir in the brandy. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside for 3 – 12 hours.

2 Preheat the oven to 140C / Gas 1. Whisk the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Sift over the flour and spices from up high to get some air in then carefully fold into the mixture. Finally, stir in the fruit mixture, nuts and rind.

3 Spoon into tin and level out the surface. Cover with a sheet of buttered baking paper and bake for 4 ½ hours. Leave to cool in the tin for 1 hour then take out of the tin and transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

4 Pierce the cake with a bamboo skewer in lots of places then wrap in baking paper and then foil. Drip a tablespoon of brandy over the surface once or twice a week until you’re ready to ice the cake. Keep it in an air-tight container.

6 comments:

BLTP said...

looks good have you tried warming the fruit and liquid to sepped up the soaking process? I must admit to prefering plain cake, no icing or even marzipan.

Anonymous said...

"Cake On Me"?
Sheesh!

Nunhead Mum of One said...

thank you! NMO x

Rob said...

What do you mean, "Cake On Me", sheesh? It's a CLASSIC!

Anonymous said...

Classic eh?
"Chicken On The Dock Of The Bay". That's a classic my laddo!

Anonymous said...

Telegram lamb!
You're my main man!



I really must go to bed.