Christmas Cake
Excellent! Quite expensive to make but so delicious. This one cuts into lovely thin slices when cold, and makes at least 4 standard loaves.
Set oven to 250°
5 1/4 cups flour
3 lbs. seedless sultana raisins (8 1/4 cups)
1 lb. muscatel seeded raisins (2 3/4 cups)
1 1/4 lbs. dates cut finely (3 1/2 cups packed)
1/2 lb. citron peel (1 1/4 cups)
1/2 lb. mixed peel (1 1/4 cups)
3/4 lb. mixed glace fruits (2 cups)
1 1/4 lbs. mixed, halved red and green glace cherries
1/4 lb. diced candied pineapple (1/2 cup)
1/2 lb. chopped walnuts (2 cups)
3/4 lb. butter at room temperature
2 3/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed
9 large eggs
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. hot water
2 1/4 tbsp. molasses
3/4 tbsp. vanilla
3/4 tbsp. almond extract
3/4 cup sherry (or 1 cup orange or pineapple juice)
1/4 cup cognac or rum (or orange or pineapple juice)
In very large clean dishpan or preserving kettle, combine all fruits and nuts with the flour.
In beater bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs all at once and beat well. Beat in cloves, nutmeg and salt. Dissolve baking soda in hot water and add to creamed mixture along with molasses, vanilla, almond extract, sherry and cognac and beat to blend. Batter appears curdled but do not worry.
Pour batter over fruits and nuts and mix thoroughly. Using your hands is fastest.
Prepare loaf pans, triple lined with buttered wax paper. This recipe will yield four standard loaf pans each filled to within 3/4” of top. The batter does not rise very much, only slightly. Spoon batter in evenly and press down firmly with back of spoon and smooth top. Bake for 2 1/2 hours on centre shelf of oven with water pan beneath on lower shelf of oven for entire baking period. Remove from oven, let cool on cake racks in pans 30 minutes then remove from pans, peel off wax paper and cool thoroughly. Store in double plastic bags in refrigerator or freezer.
Marzipan Frosting
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup almond paste
4 cups (more or less) icing sugar
2 or 3 tbsp. milk
Beat butter and almond paste together with an electric beater until thoroughly blended. Add icing sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well. Add enough milk to make the icing fluffy and spreadable. If you like your marzipan icing more dense, you can reduce the butter and icing sugar.
Set oven to 250°
5 1/4 cups flour
3 lbs. seedless sultana raisins (8 1/4 cups)
1 lb. muscatel seeded raisins (2 3/4 cups)
1 1/4 lbs. dates cut finely (3 1/2 cups packed)
1/2 lb. citron peel (1 1/4 cups)
1/2 lb. mixed peel (1 1/4 cups)
3/4 lb. mixed glace fruits (2 cups)
1 1/4 lbs. mixed, halved red and green glace cherries
1/4 lb. diced candied pineapple (1/2 cup)
1/2 lb. chopped walnuts (2 cups)
3/4 lb. butter at room temperature
2 3/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed
9 large eggs
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. hot water
2 1/4 tbsp. molasses
3/4 tbsp. vanilla
3/4 tbsp. almond extract
3/4 cup sherry (or 1 cup orange or pineapple juice)
1/4 cup cognac or rum (or orange or pineapple juice)
In very large clean dishpan or preserving kettle, combine all fruits and nuts with the flour.
In beater bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs all at once and beat well. Beat in cloves, nutmeg and salt. Dissolve baking soda in hot water and add to creamed mixture along with molasses, vanilla, almond extract, sherry and cognac and beat to blend. Batter appears curdled but do not worry.
Pour batter over fruits and nuts and mix thoroughly. Using your hands is fastest.
Prepare loaf pans, triple lined with buttered wax paper. This recipe will yield four standard loaf pans each filled to within 3/4” of top. The batter does not rise very much, only slightly. Spoon batter in evenly and press down firmly with back of spoon and smooth top. Bake for 2 1/2 hours on centre shelf of oven with water pan beneath on lower shelf of oven for entire baking period. Remove from oven, let cool on cake racks in pans 30 minutes then remove from pans, peel off wax paper and cool thoroughly. Store in double plastic bags in refrigerator or freezer.
Marzipan Frosting
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup almond paste
4 cups (more or less) icing sugar
2 or 3 tbsp. milk
Beat butter and almond paste together with an electric beater until thoroughly blended. Add icing sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well. Add enough milk to make the icing fluffy and spreadable. If you like your marzipan icing more dense, you can reduce the butter and icing sugar.