Traditional Christmas Cake

It is the first week of a new month and as Christmas is fast approaching it seemed only fitting that I should feature a Christmas Cake. I shall endeavour to revert to my usual fare in another week.

I have been making Christmas cakes for as long as I remember and over the decades I have tried many recipes.  I wish that I had made a record of my Nanna's cake but I never thought there would be a time that I would need it. In the last 10 years I have alternated between two recipes but they never seemed quite right.  Two years ago I tasted my friend Chris' cake which was a recipe handed down from her mother, and I realised that it was much better than the ones I had been making.  She graciously gave me her family recipe and I determined to make it a tradition in our home too.

However, I seem incapable of following a cake recipe to the letter and just had to make a few adjustments to suit my own tastes.  Here I shall list her recipe and let you know the changes that I made.  Feel free to try it yourself and enjoy it as it was made 50 years ago, or as you prefer it:

Christmas Cake

as made by Sylvia Fripp (1928 - 1960)

Ingredients:

10 oz plain flour

8 oz butter

8 oz soft brown sugar

1 lb sultanas

1 lb currants - I substitute half the currants with a mixture of additional cherries/raisins                          and cranberries (and this year a few apricots too)

1/2 lb stoneless raisins

1/4 lb glace cherries

1/4 lb mixed peel

1/4 or 2 oz ground almonds - I used 6 oz almonds (mixed ground and flaked)

4 eggs

grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange and half of the juice

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda mixed with a little warm water

pinch of salt

1 tsp mixed spice

1 Tbs black treacle

1 Tbs rum, sherry or brandy - I use 120 ml Amaretto

(I also add 1 Tbs cocoa powder)

Method:

Now this is where we tend to be left to our own devices as my friend's recipe only detailed ingredients ... I guess assuming that we all know how to bake!

I am not a great baker and wish I had paid more attention to my Nanna as she baked, rather than just eating the finished article.  So what follows is my rambling process which turned out ok last year and I have still to sample this years efforts.

• Firstly I put all dried fruit in a large bowl and added the alcohol, then cover it and allow to soak overnight.  I also add the zest and fruit juice at this time.
• In an attempt to be organised I then grease and line my chosen tin.  I always like a square cake as it's easier to cut even slices.  In addition to making a large cake for myself, I use the same quantity to make a smaller round one and a much smaller loaf tin for a single person with a small appetite!
• I use a food processor to cream together the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy.
• Then beat in the eggs singly. If it starts to curdle add a small spoonful of flour.
• I find it quite hard to mix in the fruit evenly so have discovered it is easier to get an even coverage by mixing the soaked fruit with the flour before then folding it all into the better mixture.  I add the other ingredients and mix well ... this is the time that any other family members are encouraged to stir the mixture and make a wish. This year I had to make wishes for us all as nobody else was present in the house.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. I also provide additional protection by applying a double layer of tin foil around the outside of the tin, secured by string.
• Place in a pre-heated oven at 150 degrees Centigrade for one hour and then reduce the heat to 130*C for a further 2 hours.  I am always worried that the top will burn and I add a layer of folded grease-proof paper for the final hour.  I check it regularly from the third hour and if a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean it is cooked.  If still wet cook for further 20 minutes and test again.  
• Allow to cool completely in the tin before turning out and removing all paper. I wrap it in grease-proof paper and tin foil and place in a cool room to store.  In the following weeks or months prick the surface with a cocktail stick and add more alcohol to keep the cake moist and tasty.
• In the two weeks before Christmas cover with marzipan and icing to your taste ... we hate icing so only cover it with marzipan.  It may look strange but it suits our tastes and after all it is the taste that matters!

I hope that you will try this recipe and that you enjoy it as much as we do. It's good to know that Sylvia's memory lives on in the people who enjoy her cake.