British Christmas Cakes

Ingredients
8oz currants
8oz sultanas
8oz raisins
4oz cut mixed peel
4oz halved glacé cherries
2oz chopped almonds
8oz plain flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 level teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
8oz butter
8oz soft brown sugar
Grated rind of one lemon
4 large eggs, beaten
2 tbsps brandy

Method
1. It's best to make the cake in October or early November. First grease an 8 inch cake tin (pan), then line it with two layers of greased greaseproof paper. Tie two bands of strong brown paper around the outside of the cake tin. Turn on the oven to 300 deg F or 150 deg C.

2. Mix the currants, raisins, sultanas, almonds, peel and cherries together. Sieve (strain) the flour, salt and spices into a separate bowl.

3. Cream the butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs; beat well as you add them. If the mixture starts to curdle add a tablespoon of the flour mixture.

4. With a metal spoon, fold in half the flour then the other half with the brandy.

5. Fold in the fruit mixture and stir well.

6. Put into the prepared cake tin, smooth the top and leave a slight indentation in the middle. Place the tin on a layer of brown paper or newspaper near the bottom of the oven and bake for about 3 hours 45 minutes although you should check it after about 90 minutes. If the top is getting too brown, cover it with more brown paper to protect it.

7. When it is cooked, take it out of the oven and leave it to cool in the tin, then turn it out onto a cooling rack.

8. Store it wrapped in 2 or 3 sheets of greaseproof paper and then store in an airtight container.

9. While waiting to decorate it over the coming weeks, you can use a skewer to make holes in the bottom then pour about 2 tablespoons of brandy over it. You can do this every week. Make sure you wrap it up properly again each time and put it back in the airtight container.

To finish the cake
In early December, put marzipan (almond paste) on the cake. You can either make it yourself (see recipe below) or buy it ready made. If the top of the cake isn't perfectly flat, trim it so that it is.

Warm some apricot jam (jelly) in a pan then brush it on the sides of the cake. Now roll out a strip of marzipan (about 1/4 inch thick) to cover it all the way round with a small overlap on the top. Use a flat wide bladed knife to smooth the join of the strip.

Spread the warm apricot jam on the top of the cake then roll the marzipan into a circle to fit. Again, smooth the join, this time between the marzipan on top and on the side.

Leave the cake for about 3 days for the marzipan to dry.

Royal Icing
See below for the recipe or buy it ready made and just roll out.

Spread it over the marzipan. You can either make it completely flat and then decorate with pieces of marzipan shapes coloured with food dye or you can ice it using a piping bag and nozzles. I'm not good at decorative icing so I make my own royal icing then I can use a fork to raise peaks all over the cake so it looks like snow - see picture above.

Plate of Mango Slices Outdoors Photographic Print
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Instead of the traditional fruit used in a rich fruit cake like sultanas and currants, this recipe uses tropical ones like pineapple, papaya and mango giving a very different flavour and a lovely, moist cake.

Ingredients
6oz raisins
4ozs ready to eat dried apricots
4ozs stoned dates
3ozs ready to eat dried mango
3oz ready to eat dried papaya
3oz dried pineapple
2oz dried cherries
2oz dried cranberries
3oz crystallised ginger
4oz chopped almonds
1 apple, peeled, cored and grated
Rind of one lemon, grated
Juice of one lemon
8fl oz (200ml) rum or other spirit
7oz self raising (cake) flour
1/2tsp mixed spice
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
1/2tsp salt
7oz softened butter
3oz demerara (light brown) sugar
3oz black treacle (molasses is a good substitute)
3 beaten eggs

Method
1. Cut up any large pieces of dried fruit, they should all be no larger than one inch cubes. Put all the dried fruit (not apple or lemon) in a large bowl, add half the rum or other spirit, cover with a clean cloth and leave overnight.

2. Grease then line an 8in cake tin (pan) with a double layer of greaseproof (wax) paper, grease the paper. Preheat oven to 150 deg C (300 deg F).

3. Mix the lemon rind and juice with the grated apple then stir it and the chopped almonds into the dried fruit mixture. Sieve (strain) the flour and spices together.

4. Cream the butter, demerara sugar and black treacle together - it's easiest to do this with an electric mixer until relatively lighter in colour and fluffier.

5. Gradually beat in the eggs then fold in the sieved flour and spices. Again do this gradually, a bit at a time.

6. Stir the dried fruit, nuts and apple into the cake mixture.

7. Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake tin (pan) and bake for about 2 hours 30 minutes. A skewer or fine bladed knife should come out clean when it is done. If the top of the cake is browning too fast, cover it with foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes. When it's cooked, leave to cool in the cake tin.

8. When it's cold, make holes in the cake with a skewer or fine bladed knife and use the remaining rum to pour into the cake.

9. Wrap it in greaseproof paper then store in an airtight container. In a cool, dry place, it should keep for at least 6 weeks.

10. You can cover with marzipan and then icing in the traditional way.

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2mg fat and 225 calories per portion

Ingredients
9oz mixed, dried fruit (sultanas, raisins & currants)
3oz glacé cherries
2oz mixed peel
8fl oz (1 cup) apple juice
1oz hazelnuts
2 tbs pumpkin seeds
2 chopped pieces of preserved stem ginger
Rind of 1 lemon, grated
4fl oz (1/2 cup) skimmed milk
4fl oz (1/2 cup) sunflower oil
8oz wholemeal self raising (cake) flour
2 tsp mixed spice
3 tbs brandy

For Decorating
Small amount of apricot jam
Whole preserved fruits

Method
1. Put the mixed dried fruit, mixed peel and cherries into a bowl and pour the apple juice over them. Leave to soak several hours, preferably overnight.

2. Lightly grease and line with a 7ins square cake tin with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 150 deg C (300 deg F).

3. Put the hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, preserved ginger, grated lemon rind, oil and milk into the bowl with fruit and stir well. Then stir in the brandy (use a different spirit like rum, if preferred).

4. Sieve (strain) the flour and mixed spice together then gradually stir into the fruit mixture.

5. Put the mixture into the cake tin (pan) and bake for about 90 minutes until golden brown. You can test it with a thin knife or skewer which will come out clean when the cake is cooked.

6. Cool on a wire rack.

To Decorate
1. Sieve (strain) the apricot jam, warm it slightly so it is a little runny, then brush over the top of the cake.

2. Cut the whole preserved fruits into attractive, reasonably big pieces, and then cover the top of the cake with them - the apricot jam will hold them in place.

8oz icing (confectioners) sugar
8oz castor (fine grained) sugar
16oz ground almonds
2 lightly beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice

1. Sift (strain) the icing sugar and then mix with castor sugar and almonds.

2. Add the vanilla.

3. Gradually add beaten egg, mixing it well as you add. Stop adding the egg when it forms a stiff paste.

4. Knead it well.

2 egg whites for each 16oz icing (confectioners) sugar

1. Sift (strain) the icing sugar twice.

2. Mix the egg white carefully but do not beat.

3. Gradually mix in HALF the icing sugar with a wooden spoon. If doing it by hand, beat for 5 to 10 minutes to ensure there are no lumps, and it looks glossy and white.

4. Cover with damp cloth and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

5. A bit at a time, mix in enough of the remaining icing sugar to get the consistency you require. You can test this by raising peaks with your spoon if you want to have raised peaks all over the cake. If you want a flat surface, stand a wooden spoon in it and it should fall over very slowly.

6. At this stage, add any colouring. Separate into different bowls if you want different colours.

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Ingredients
8oz sultanas
4oz currants
8oz raisins
10oz plain (all purpose) flour
1 level tsp mixed spice
8oz butter or margarine
8oz castor (fine grained) sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp almond essence
4 beaten eggs
1 tbs marmalade
1/2 level tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tbs milk

Method
1. Line an 8in cake tin (pan) with a double layer of greaseproof (wax) paper and preheat oven to 150 deg C (300 deg F).

2. Sieve (strain) the flour and mixed spice together then mix with the fruit.

3. Cream the butter or margarine, sugar, vanilla and almond essences, and lemon rind together until pale and fluffy.

4. Gradually beat in the eggs.

5. Fold in the flour a bit at a time.

6. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda into the milk then add it to the mixture. By this time it should be soft and drops from a spoon. If it is too stiff, add a little more milk.

7. Transfer the mixture to the cake tin (pan) and bake for about 4 hours. A skewer of fine bladed knife should come out clean when it is done. Cool on a wire rack.

8. Cover with marzipan and then icing in the traditional way.

Holiday Baking Art Print
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This cake should be made 1 or 2 weeks before Christmas as, not having the quantity of fruit of a traditional cake, it won't keep so long.

Ingredients
6oz currants
6oz sultanas
4oz cut mixed peel
6oz glacé cherries
4oz glacé pineapple
8oz self raising flour
2oz ground almonds
8oz margarine or butter
8oz caster sugar
Grated rind and juice of half a lemon
4 eggs, beaten
3 tbsps brandy

Method
1. Heat oven temperature to 170 deg C 325 deg F and grease a 9 inch cake tin, then line it with two layers of greased greaseproof paper. Cream the margarine or butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale and fluffy and stir in the ground almonds.

2. Add the eggs a little at a time beating well.

3. Add 3 tbsps of flour to the fruit and peel, mixing well. Fold these ingredients alternately with the rest of the flour, the grated lemon rind and lemon juice, into the creamed mixture. Lastly stir in the brandy.

4. Put into the tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 2 and a half hours, or till risen and firm to the touch. Leave it to cool in the tin. Store it wrapped in greaseproof paper in an airtight tin. Decorate with icing (frosting) and marzipan or preserved fruit as for the low fat Christmas Cake above.

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