Christmas Cake

Our Family Christmas Cake

I have been baking this cake for more than three decades ago, it is a rich fruit cake, very dark, moist with a lot of brandy, can last for a long time.  It is a rather expensive cake but my word, it is worth it.  Well this year I don't think I will cut it, as the children won't be coming home, but certainly we all can enjoy it some time in March when Jane, Ed and Milo coming home for a visit.



The recipe is based on the Australian Women's Weekly 100 favourite Cakes. Food Editor: Ellen Sinclair.  I added more ingredients, such as glace ginger and some other glace fruits bought and also home made ones, and also nuts and extra liquor, I use brandy, sherry and sometimes brown rum.
It needs a good preparation, chopping fruits and nuts, soaking them in the liquor overnight.
The correct process of mixing butter and sugar is essential, otherwise the cake will be crumbled when cut.  The length of baking is very important and the process after the baking, adding more liquor and trapping the steam of the cake is very important too.  With these processes not only you will have a beautiful, dark, moist cake, but it will last for a long time.   The cake keeps well.

Cake Preparation, for Christmas 2012

Chop the nuts, add into the mixed dried fruit

after the dried fruit is soaked in with brandy and sherry 

over night

My large bowl, for mixing the dried fruits with creamed butter, egg and sugar mixture.  The bowl, is so special for us as it has been with us for a long time.

Add the chopped nuts to mixed fruit which have been soaked in brandy or sherry for over night, toss and mix them togehter

Use the electric mixer to cream butter, sugar and egg, add it in onto the fruit mixture, mix them thoroughly with wooden spoon.

Add half of the flour onto the fruit mixture, mix together well.

Add the rest of flour onto the mixture, mix together thoroughly until combined.  Put mixture onto the tin lined with four layers of grease proof paper, bang tin on table to settle mixture firmly; spread mixture and level.

The cake is ready to bake on 135 degrees C for 5-6 hours.

A note from the book: This cake can be completely mixed, filled into tin, covered with plastic food wrap or aluminium foil and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.  On day of baking, remove tin from refrigerator, stand several hours, to allow mixture to return to room temperature, then bake as it says on the recipe.

To be Continued.

Until Next Post

Thanks For Stopping By