Christmas Cake Rich Cake Recipe 375 Recipes

CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla, lime juice, and lime zest. Add the eggs 1 at a time, and incorporate well. Combine bread crumbs, flour, all the spices, baking powder, and salt. Combine rum and port. Add flour mixture alternately with rum/port mixture into the batter. Fold in the chopped marinated fruit.
• Prepare 1 (9-inch) cake pan or 2 spring form pans by lining bottom and sides with parchment paper. Fill the pan 3/4 of the way and bake until a skewer comes out of the center of the cake clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Put raisins, prunes, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla beans in a glass jar and cover with mixture of equal parts Jamaican white rum, Jamaican spiced rum, and Port. Cover with a tight fitting lid, label, and date the jar. Put in a cool, dry cupboard. From time to time, check the fruits to see if more liquor is needed, as the fruits will plump and soak up the liquid.
• Keep the fruit covered in liquor. It is best to allow the fruit to marinate for at least 1 month for best flavor.

EXTRA-FRUITY CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Put all the dried fruit, the mixed peel and citrus zests in a large bowl, the pour over the brandy. Stir, cover and leave to soak overnight.
• The next day, heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line the base and side of a deep 23cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, so it comes a few centimetres above the rim.
• Beat the butter, sugar and treacle together in a large bowl using an electric whisk, until pale and creamy. Alternatively, use a stand mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl every so often. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a separate bowl, then stir this into the wet ingredients along with the ground almonds until combined.
• Stir in the rehydrated fruit along with the soaking liquid, then spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for 2 hrs 25 mins-2 hrs 30 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.If the cake starts to darken too quickly, cover with foil.
• Leave to cool completely in the tin, then prick small holes all over the surface using a cocktail stick or skewer and brush over a little brandy. Wrap the cake in baking parchment, then a sheet of foil. Store in an airtight container and feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp brandy each week for three or four weeks, stopping the week before you want to ice it. Will keep in a cool, dry place for six months.

RICH BRANDY CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• The night before you cook this place all the fruit fruit peel and nuts into a bowl and soak for 12 hours in the brandy and orange juice; Stir every time you go into the kitchen!
• pre-heat oven to 275ºF/140ºC.
• Grease and line with greaseproof paper an 8 inch/20cm round cake tin.
• Sift the flour salt and spices into a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixtures fluffy.
• Beat the eggs and add them a little at a time.
• Fold in the flour and spices.
• Stir in the fruit that has been soaking along with any excess liquid.
• Mix in the treacle.
• Spoon into the cake tin and spread out evenly.
• Cover the cake with a double square of greaseproof paper with a small hole in the top.
• Bake the cake on the lower shelf for 4& 1/4- 3/4 hours.
• When the cake is cold wrap in double greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin.
• Feed the cake every two days for the first 2 weeks with a spoonful of brandy and/or orange juice and/or glacè cherry syrup.
• First poke little holes in the cake with a knitting needle or a skewer.
• Come Christmas you will have a very very rich fruit cake.
• Use royal icing to ice it or almond paste and royal icing, I don't like almond paste!

DECADENTLY RICH PORT AND CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• You will also need: Brown paper- enough to wrap a double layer around the cake tin.
• Use a pair of scissors to cut up the prunes.
• Combine prunes, currants, raisins and 1 cup of the port together in a large bowl and mix well.
• Allow to stand for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, spray a deep 23cm-round (9") cake tin with cooking oil, then line the base and sides of the tin with two layers of baking (silicone) paper- bringing the paper 5cm (2") above the rim of the tin.
• When the fruit has been soaking for two hours, preheat the oven to a slow 160C (310F).
• Add the orange rind, juice and treacle to the fruit mixture and stir to combine.
• Place the chopped chocolate, cherries and walnuts into a mixing bowl.
• Add the sifted flours and spices to this bowl and stir lightly to combine.
• Now, chop the butter into smallish pieces and transfer to a small bowl.
• Beat with an electric mixer until the colour of the butter changes to pale yellow.
• Add vanilla and beat for an extra minute.
• Add sugar and beat until the mixture looks light and creamy and all the sugar crystals have dissolved.
• (This is an important step- if the sugar crystals don't dissolve your cake will develop a crusty top).
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the butter and egg mixture to the fruit and mix well.
• Next, add the flour mixture to the fruit, and stir lightly with a wooden spoon until just combined.
• (Do not beat the mixture or the cake will be tough- a light hand ensures a good cake).
• Call in the family and have everyone give the cake a stir while they make a Christmas wish.
• Spoon the batter evenly into the cake tin.
• Run your hand under the tap and then use it to smooth the top of the cake.
• Now, wrap a double thickness of brown paper around the tin and secure it with string.
• Place the cake in the centre of the pre-heated 160c (310F) oven and bake for 3- 3 1/2 hours, or until a skewer, inserted into the centre of the cake, comes out clean.
• Remove the cake from the oven and, while still hot, pour over the extra port.
• Now, wrap the cake (tin and all) in a thick, clean towel.
• Keep wrapped for at least 24 hours, or until the cake is completely cold.
• Store the cake, well covered, in its tin in a cool, dry place- or in the refrigerator if it's really hot where you live.
• Each week before Christmas, use a skewer to poke several holes in the top of the cake and pour over a little more port- this is called'feeding' the cake.
• Close to Christmas, you can ice this cake with the traditional Christmas cake icing (frosting) if you wish, but it will still be spectacularly good without it.
• Serve small portions as this cake is very, very rich.