Christmas Cake - Nicola Mashiter
Make this delicious cake 6 weeks before Christmas
Ingredients
125g /4oz cherries (but I use a small tub!)
225g/8oz currants
225g/8oz sultanas
124g/4oz chopped mixed peel
125g/4oz plain flour
225g/8oz butter
finely grated rind of a lemon
finely grated rind of an orange
225g/8oz soft brown sugar
50g/2oz ground almonds
4 eggs,beaten
100g/4oz self raising flour
30ml/2 tbsp lemon juice
45ml /3 tbsp brandy
Method
- Set oven to 170C/325F
- Grease an 20.5cm/ 8 inch round solid bottom cake tin
- Quarter cherries wash if sticky and dry well
- Check vine fruits for stalks
- Mix all fruits together with 45ml (3 level tbsp plain flour)
- Whisk butter, add lemon and orange rind and sugar
- Continue to whisk until pale and fluffy Stir in almonds
- Beat in eggs little by little and lastly, fold in fruits lemon juice and brandy
- Turn into prepared tin bake for 2- 2 ½ hours
- If top looks as if it’s getting burnt, cover with foil
- When cooked, cool and wrap up with foil
- Place in an airtight container
- This cake doesn’t need any further attention!
1 week before Christmas!
Remove cake from its foil covering, and roll out about 500g/1lb of marzipan. Brush cake with warmed apricot jam, to which a squeeze of lemon has been added and cover cake with marzipan.
2/3days before Christmas !
Royal icing.
2 egg whites450g/1lb icing sugar, sieved
1tbsp lemon juice
1tsp glycerine /liquid glucose
- Whisk eggs until slightly frothy
- Stir in icing sugar one quarter at a time, beating well each time
- When 3 quarters has been added stir in lemon juice beat for 2 minutes more and add glycerine to prevent icing hardening
- Decorate cake as desired