Simmer Stir Christmas Cake Food

SIMMER-&-STIR CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Put the butter, sugar, fruit, zests, juice and 100ml/3½fl oz brandy in a large pan. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the butter has melted. Reduce the heat and bubble for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2/ fan 130C and line a 20cm round cake tin. Toast the nuts in a dry frying pan, tossing them until evenly browned, or in the oven for 8-10 minutes - keep an eye on them as they burn easily. When they are cool, chop roughly. Stir the eggs, nuts and ground almonds into the fruit mixture and mix well. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into the pan. Stir in gently, until there are no traces of flour left.
• Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth it down evenly - you will find this is easiest with the back of a metal spoon which has been dipped into boiling water.
• Bake for 45 minutes, then turn down the heat to 140C/gas 1/ fan120C and cook for a further 1-1¼ hours (about a further 1¾ hours if you have a gas oven) until the cake is dark golden in appearance and firm to the touch. Cover the top of the cake with foil if it starts to darken too much. To check the cake is done, insert a fine skewer into the centre - if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
• Make holes all over the warm cake with a fine skewer and spoon the extra 4tbsp brandy over the holes until it has all soaked in. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When it's cold, remove it from the tin, peel off the lining paper, then wrap first in baking parchment and then in foil. The cake will keep in a cupboard for up to three months or you can freeze it for six months.

MOIST CHRISTMAS CAKE (NO ADDED SUGAR OR FAT)

Steps:

• Line base and sides of 20cm squared cake tin with paper.
• Place mixed fruit, apricots, undrained pineapple, orange juice and spice in a saucepan.
• Bring slowly to boil, simmer uncovered 2-3 minutes, remove from heat.
• Cover and allow to cool.
• Stir egg yolks (optional) and soda into fruit mixture.
• Whip egg whites stiffly in large bowl.
• Fold in fruit mixture, then fold in flour, making a firm mixture.
• Spread into cake tin, bake in moderate oven (160c) for 1 1/2 hours.
• Cover the hot cake with foil and allow to cool in the pan.
• On special occasions, you may decorate the top with glace cherries and a few almonds.
• Take care- all nuts have a high fat content.
• The pineapple can be replaced by 3/4 cup water and 1 cup mashed pumpkin.
• or 3/4 cup water and 1 cup pureed pie apricots Add the pumpkin or apricots after the fruit mixture has cooled.
• The water is added to the dried fruit so it can be boiled.

MAKE & MATURE CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Put 1kg mixed dried fruit, the zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon, 150ml brandy or other alcohol, 250g softened butter and 200g light, soft brown sugar in a large pan set over a medium heat.
• Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 mins. Tip the fruit mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside - tie with string to secure.
• Add 175g plain flour, 100g ground almonds, ½ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp mixed spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 100g flaked almonds, 4 large eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the fruit mixture and stir well, making sure there are no pockets of flour.
• Tip into your prepared tin, level the top with a spatula and bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hrs.
• Remove the cake from the oven, poke holes in it with a skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp of your chosen alcohol. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
• To store, peel off the baking parchment, then wrap well in cling film. Feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp alcohol every fortnight, until you ice it.
• Don't feed the cake for the final week to give the surface a chance to dry before icing.