Ho to keep your Christmas Cake moist
Kevin Dundon's Christmas Cooking Tips
How to Make A Christmas Cake - The Victorian Way
????Order your copy of Mrs Crocombe’s cookery book here: ????
Christmas is approaching so Mrs Crocombe is making a cake for Lord and Lady Braybrooke at Audley End House.
This traditional plum cake is based on a recipe by Charles Francatelli, who was Queen Victoria's chief cook from 1840 to 1841.
INGREDIENTS
680g plain flour
680g butter
450g caster sugar
450g dried chopped cherries
680g currants
680g candied peel
225g ground almonds
8 eggs
Zest of four oranges
15g ground spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg)
½ pint of brandy
For the almond paste:
225g ground almonds
450g caster sugar
A little orange water
3-4 egg whites
For the icing:
6 egg whites
680g icing sugar
Lemon Juice
METHOD
Preheat your oven to 160ºC, 320ºF or gas mark 3.
Line a large cake tin with butter and greaseproof paper.
Soften your butter, then combine with the sugar, flour and eggs gradually. Then incorporate the cherries, currants, candied peel, ground almonds, spices and brandy until you have a thick mixture.
Pour this mix into your lined cake tin, then place in a preheated oven and bake until a skewer comes out clean when placed into the centre of the cake. This will take around six hours, but keep an eye on it.
Once your cake is out of the oven, remove it from the tin and leave it to cool on a wire rack. You can then make the almond paste.
Mix the ground almonds, caster sugar and orange water together in a bowl. Slowly add in the egg whites, and mix until the mixture comes together into a dough. You may not need to use all of the egg whites, so keep an eye on the consistency of the mixture so it doesn’t become too thin.
Take your almond paste and roll it out until it is around 5mm thick. Using your cake tin as a guide, cut out a circle to cover the top of the cake, and a strip to encircle the sides. You can then place it over the cake, using jam or water as a glue if necessary.
Next you can make the icing by mixing the egg whites and fine sugar together. Add a few drops of lemon juice until the mixture becomes spreadable. Cover the cake in this icing mixture and leave this in a dry place until it turns hard.
You can then decorate the cake by piping on some more icing. It’s up to you to choose your decorating style, but if you’d like to keep it authentically Victorian we suggest writing a Christmas message onto your cake. You can add a little food colouring to your icing to create an array of colours for your cake.
Discover more Victorian Christmas recipes:
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
FIND A PLACE TO VISIT:
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK:
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:
Traditional Irish Christmas Cake & Marzipan - Recipe Below! :)
Traditional Irish Christmas Cake is topped with marzipan and icing.
Malachi McCormick’s book Irish Country Cooking has a wonderful recipe for a traditional Irish Christmas Cake.
I have made it every year for years.
The only difference between the book recipe and mine being I make home made Marzipan, add a whole bottle of whiskey and cut it into creative pieces before icing.
1 Cup (each)- Dark Raisins, Gold Raisins, Currents, Glacé Cherries halved, Dried Fruit (apricots, figs, prunes).
1 Raw Apple grated
2 Cups Mixed Nuts
1/2 Cup Mixed Candied Peel chopped
2 Cups Sugar
1 Pound -4 Sticks Unsalted Butter (room temp)
8 Eggs
5 Cups Cake Flour
1t Salt
Irish Whiskey
The night before you plan to bake the cake, preheat oven to 200 degrees. Mix together all the fruit, nuts, candied peel, dried fruit, grated rinds & juices if lemon & orange. Cover the bowl, put it in the oven & turn OFF the heat. Leave in oven over night.
Next day-
Cream the sugar & butter.
Beat the eggs well and add them to the eggs & sugar.
Put the flour & salt in a large bowl and add the eggs, sugar, butter mixture.
Then add the fruit mixture and a jigger of whiskey. Mix well.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Grease a round 12” pan and line it with 2 sheets wax paper.
Pour the batter in, spread evenly, cover with lid or aluminum foil and cook for an hour.
Turn temperature down to 275 degrees and cook further (another hour or so) until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
Take the cake out, let cool and with the wax paper still on, store in a cake tin or wrap up with aluminum foil.
Every week open up and pour some whiskey across the top until Christmas time.
Traditionally it is topped with Marzipan & Icing and a sprig of holly is placed on top.
** To make Marzipan
Buy Almond paste, confectioners sugar and lemons.
Break down the Almond paste with the lemons and add powdered/confectioners sugar until a smooth dough is created.
Roll out and place on cake.
Mix up some confectioners/powdered sugar and water into a medium thick frosting and pour onto the cakes.
Marzipan & Icing video -
#irish #irishfood #Irishchristmascake
Traditional Irish Christmas Cake - Whiskey Cake, Fruit Cake, Merry Christmas from Tracey's Homestead
A Christmas tradition we keep is serving an Irish Christmas Cake on Christmas Eve. Soaked in Irish whiskey for at least a month, spiced and sweet, this is a treat that simply doesn't compare to other holiday fruitcakes.
#merrychristmas #irish #homemade #tradition #fruitcake #whiskey
Christmas Cake - EASY moist fruit cake!
This is a speedy Christmas Cake that requires no overnight fruit soaking. It's a fruit cake that's incredibly easy to make, with a rich, velvety texture that's full flavoured and moist it can be eaten plain. But no one turns away a slosh of custard!
Terrific made on the day, keeps for ages, and it's just as delicious made with or without alcohol. Go wild with the decorations - or keep it simple!
Icing a Christmas Cake by Odlums
Ever wondered how to marzipan and ice your Christmas cake? Hopefully this video will give you some tips. Get the recipe