I’m not sure how other shoppers who brave the crowds on pre-Christmas weekends feel in our crowded shopping malls, but I definitely am the opposite of jolly even with the street of Orchard all decked out in gold and glitter. Past the stress of Christmas shopping, the stress of booking the right restaurant with the right variety of food sets in; one year I booked restaurants too late and nothing else was available; another year I felt adventurous and decided on a four course French meal only to have someone in the family leave early in search of some good ol’ hawker delights. If you are anything like me, you may have thought of doing a potluck or getting take-outs and hey – maybe even baking the traditional Christmas cake from scratch! This easy-peasy recipe will be the stress relief you need this season.
LISTEN TO:
The only time to listen to those festive jingling bells without wanting to plug your ears is right now, so go ahead and let this medley of Christmas hits jolly you up! These tracks are little bit more pop, featuring Panic! At the Disco and Lady Antebellum’s renditions of old hits, amongst other artistes. Press play and enjoy even if you ain’t baking any cake!
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Writer, dancer, and dreamer. An adult ballerina, this late bloomer finds beauty in what she sees and is always looking for new places to explore and good-looking food to ogle.
Beats & Bites: Christmas Cake
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 175g (6 oz) raisins
- 350g (12 oz) glace cherries rinsed, thoroughly dried and quartered
- 500g (1 lb 2oz) currants
- 350g (12 oz) sultanas
- 150 ml (¼ pint) sherry plus extra for feeding
- 250g (9 oz) butter softened
- 250g (9 oz) light muscovado sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp black treacle
- 75g (3 oz) blanched almonds chopped
- 75g (3 oz) self-raising flour
- 175g (6 oz) Plain Flour
- 1½ tsp mixed spice
To finish and decorate the Christmas cake
- 3 tbsp apricot jam sieved and warmed
- 675 g shop-bought almond paste
- Icing Sugar
- Packet royal icing mix to cover cake
Instructions
Steps
- Put all the dried fruit in a container, pour over the sherry and stir in the orange zest. Cover with a lid, and leave to soak for 3 days, stirring daily.
- Grease and line a 23cm (9in) deep round tin with a double layer of greased greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 140C, 120C fan, gas 1. Measure the butter, sugar, eggs, treacle and almonds into a very large bowl and beat well. Add the flours and mixed spice and mix thoroughly until blended. Stir in the soaked fruit. Spoon into the prepared cake tin and level the surface.
- Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 4-4½ hours or until the cake feels firm to the touch and is a rich golden brown. Check after 2 hours, and, if the cake is a perfect colour, cover with foil. A toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
- When cool, pierce the cake at intervals with a fine skewer and feed with a little extra sherry. Wrap the completely cold cake in a double layer of greaseproof paper and again in foil and store in a cool place. Additional notes: To prepare the Christmas cake ahead: Prepare the fruit and soak in sherry 3 days ahead - this is essential to plump up and flavour the fruit. Make the cake and wrap as in stage 4. Store in a cool place for up to 3 months, following stage 4. You could also freeze the cake before decorating, for up to 3 months; defrost at room temperature.
- Decorate with almond paste and royal icing.
To finish and decorate the Christmas cake
- If you don't want to use alcohol, use the same quantity of orange juice. Instead of covering with icing, you could brush warmed apricot jam over the cake, then arrange glace fruits and nuts on top. Or you can skip the icing and just buy cute little figurines from Daiso and pop it all over the cake for a “Christmassy” feel!
