Christmas Cake

[htwood]

Oooo Dorrie, apricots and figs sound lovely, much better than cherries and peel. I am re-inspired to start baking one. Will need a new hiding place for the cake, Himself will be sniffing around for it.

changi, I'll look for golden cake recipe, I think it's in a cookbook I use often. That one is doused with white rum. You ARE cheeky, especially busting me on feeding the 5000, then saying you canna have too much cake LOL

[changilass]

When I told hubby I wasn't sure waht a quart was, he quick as a flash did a search to find out - this is the man who wouldn't touch the computer this time last year - its amazing what the promise of a bit of cake can get him to do lol

[htwood]

Watch out Changi, here it comes.....makes one 7-pound cake, what's that, half a stone?

Golden Fruitcake

2 cups sultanas or golden raisins
1 and 1/2 cups chopped dried figs
1 cup diced candied citron
1 cup diced candied lemon peel
1 cup diced candied orange peel
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup slivered blanched almonds
1/2 cup diced candied pineapple
1/2 cup candied cherries, halved
1/2 cup dried currants
Approx 3 and 3/4 cups flour
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon or orange extract
1 cup dry sherry or orange juice

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line 10 inch tube pan with foil. In large bowl, combine first 10 ingredients, toss lightly with 3/4 cups flour until fruits and nuts are well coated (keeps them from sinking in batter).

In another large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Add 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, extracts and sherry or orange juice and beat at low speed until well mixed. Increase speed to medium and beat 4 minutes longer, scraping down bowl. With spoon, stir fruit mixture into batter until well mixed.

Spoon batter evenly into pan, then bake for 3 hours or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in pan, remove from pan, peel off foil. Flavor improves on storing, sprinkled with white rum or wine then well wrapped. Before serving, you can heat some apple jelly and brush onto cake, then decorate with nuts or cherries.

My notes say that instead of one big cake, I baked 3 loaf pans for 2 hours, plus 12 muffins for 1 hour. Made plenty of Christmas gifts!

[Buttercup]

Sounded good so I searched some recipe sites -- is your recipe anything like this one?

Tropical Christmas Cake

3 C (500g) mixed dried fruit
1 x 440g crushed pineapple in natural juice
1/2 C brandy / rum
1/2 C brown sugar (loosely packed)
1 level tsp bicarb soda
1 level tsp mixed spice
3 egg whites
2 C self raising flour
1/4 C blanched almonds (optional)
1 level tsp Parisian essence (optional)

Place mixed fruit, sugar, spice, brandy and whole can pineapple in a saucepan (nothing to stop you soaking the fruit in the brandy or rum for a couple of days first though).
Boil 3 mins
Stir in bicarb soda
Leave to cool
Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan forced
Once fruit mixture has cooled stir in eggwhites well
If you prefer a darker cake add Parisian essence to fruit mix
Fold in flour
Pour mixture into a cake tin (19") that has been coated with cooking spray
Top with almonds and bake approx. 1 hr

Sounds good Margaret. Searched everywhere and can't find my recipe . It's a good few years since I used it and can't remember what all is in it. but I know there was no rum. It did have the afore mentioned marzipan balls, pineapple, sultanas, cherries and I'm sure some apricots and papaya.

[JimH]

My Better Half has made 7 again this year, and they smell wonderful. They are just an old traditional recipe.
The Christmas puddings smell good too.
As regards the burned bit, unless it is burned BLACK, just ice over it, nobody will know.

[mm1ii2aa3]

Sounded good so I searched some recipe sites -- is your recipe anything like this one?

Tropical Christmas Cake

3 C (500g) mixed dried fruit
1 x 440g crushed pineapple in natural juice
1/2 C brandy / rum
1/2 C brown sugar (loosely packed)
1 level tsp bicarb soda
1 level tsp mixed spice
3 egg whites
2 C self raising flour
1/4 C blanched almonds (optional)
1 level tsp Parisian essence (optional)

Place mixed fruit, sugar, spice, brandy and whole can pineapple in a saucepan (nothing to stop you soaking the fruit in the brandy or rum for a couple of days first though).
Boil 3 mins
Stir in bicarb soda
Leave to cool
Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan forced
Once fruit mixture has cooled stir in eggwhites well
If you prefer a darker cake add Parisian essence to fruit mix
Fold in flour
Pour mixture into a cake tin (19") that has been coated with cooking spray
Top with almonds and bake approx. 1 hr

i will have a try, and let you know how it comes out