Last Minute Christmas Cake
Keep up the traditional fruit cake at Christmas time, but here is a more economical homegrown version that needs no "ripening" beforehand.
- Makes 1 x 30 cm cake , 2 x 18 cm cakes
- OCCASION: Festive season
- Recipe Category: Baking, Cakes, Traditional homegrown south african recipes
- Products in this recipe:
You Will Need:
Ina’s Tip
The cake can be used the same day or the next, or keep in the fridge for 2 weeks. It also freezes exceptionally well.
Method:
Place the tea bags into a large measuring jug and add 2 cups (500 ml) of boiling water. Leave to draw for 5 minutes. Squeeze out tea bags and add cake fruit.
Leave to soak for 30 minutes or longer. Drain but reserve 1 1⁄4 cups (310 ml) of the soak water for mixing the cake.
Adjust the oven rack to one slot below the middle. Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Use one 30 x 7 cm round cake tin or 2 x 18 cm smaller cake pans or 12 - 15 smaller containers. We used, deep large muffin pans. Butter tin/s and line base/s with baking paper.
Beat the eggs and oil. Add the 1 1⁄4 cups (310 ml) of reserved soak water and orange juice. Beat it in. Add the dry mix, the mixed spice and cinnamon. Stir with a spatula until roughly blended. Add the fruit mixture, cherries, nuts and marmalade.
Fold everything in by hand with a spatula until evenly blended. Fill the pan/s 3/4. Bake large cake for 2½ hours, 2 smaller cakes for 1 3/4 - 2 hours and mini cakes for ± 45 - 50 minutes. As soon as cake/s comes out of the oven, pour brandy over and leave to completely cool in the pan/s for 20 minutes and then turn out. Wrap in foil before storing in an airtight container.
White glacé icing
For this icing our Vanilla Icing gives a much better result than plain icing sugar. Keep the nozzle to use for another time. Sift the icing mix and milk powder together. Heat butter and lemon juice in the microwave on high for 45 seconds.
Gradually add to the sifted mixture while mixing with a whisk. You should get a thick, but still runny mixture, that coats the back of a spoon. If too thick add a little boiling water (1 T), use immediately otherwise it thickens again.
Spoon icing over the cakes and encourage it to run over the sides as we have done with our mini cakes. Decorate with r any small Christmas decorations.
Variation
Glacé fruit topping
- 4 T (60 ml) fine apricot jam
- 250 g assorted glacé fruits
- ± 6 stalk cherries in maraschino
- ± 1 metre red ribbon
- 3 red topped florist pins
Melt the jam in the microwave for ± 30 seconds. Cut the glacé fruit into smaller wedges except for the cherries and toss with the warm jam to glaze the fruit. If is still looks too sugary, microwave for ± 30 seconds. Arrange the fruit on the cake.
Top with the cherries and secure the ribbon around the cake with the florist pins.
Last Minute Christmas Cake
Keep up the traditional fruit cake at Christmas time, but here is a more economical homegrown version that needs no "ripening" beforehand.
- Makes 1 x 30 cm cake , 2 x 18 cm cakes
- OCCASION: Festive season
- Recipe Category: Baking, cakes, traditional homegrown south african recipes
- Products in this recipe:
You Will Need:
Method:
Place the tea bags into a large measuring jug and add 2 cups (500 ml) of boiling water. Leave to draw for 5 minutes. Squeeze out tea bags and add cake fruit.
Leave to soak for 30 minutes or longer. Drain but reserve 1 1⁄4 cups (310 ml) of the soak water for mixing the cake.
Adjust the oven rack to one slot below the middle. Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Use one 30 x 7 cm round cake tin or 2 x 18 cm smaller cake pans or 12 - 15 smaller containers. We used, deep large muffin pans. Butter tin/s and line base/s with baking paper.
Beat the eggs and oil. Add the 1 1⁄4 cups (310 ml) of reserved soak water and orange juice. Beat it in. Add the dry mix, the mixed spice and cinnamon. Stir with a spatula until roughly blended. Add the fruit mixture, cherries, nuts and marmalade.
Fold everything in by hand with a spatula until evenly blended. Fill the pan/s 3/4. Bake large cake for 2½ hours, 2 smaller cakes for 1 3/4 - 2 hours and mini cakes for ± 45 - 50 minutes. As soon as cake/s comes out of the oven, pour brandy over and leave to completely cool in the pan/s for 20 minutes and then turn out. Wrap in foil before storing in an airtight container.
White glacé icing
For this icing our Vanilla Icing gives a much better result than plain icing sugar. Keep the nozzle to use for another time. Sift the icing mix and milk powder together. Heat butter and lemon juice in the microwave on high for 45 seconds.
Gradually add to the sifted mixture while mixing with a whisk. You should get a thick, but still runny mixture, that coats the back of a spoon. If too thick add a little boiling water (1 T), use immediately otherwise it thickens again.
Spoon icing over the cakes and encourage it to run over the sides as we have done with our mini cakes. Decorate with r any small Christmas decorations.
Variation
Glacé fruit topping
- 4 T (60 ml) fine apricot jam
- 250 g assorted glacé fruits
- ± 6 stalk cherries in maraschino
- ± 1 metre red ribbon
- 3 red topped florist pins
Melt the jam in the microwave for ± 30 seconds. Cut the glacé fruit into smaller wedges except for the cherries and toss with the warm jam to glaze the fruit. If is still looks too sugary, microwave for ± 30 seconds. Arrange the fruit on the cake.
Top with the cherries and secure the ribbon around the cake with the florist pins.