Traditionally Stir - up Sunday is the last Sunday before the season of Advent. This is usually when Christmas puddings are made and quite often Christmas cake.
This year I decided to join in and make a Christmas cake - I'm not sure about the Christmas Pudding - maybe when I've moved out and not having to share the kitchen! I was a week late for Stir up Sunday but doesn't matter too much.
Ingredients;
This year I decided to join in and make a Christmas cake - I'm not sure about the Christmas Pudding - maybe when I've moved out and not having to share the kitchen! I was a week late for Stir up Sunday but doesn't matter too much.
- 12oz butter or marg
- 12oz light soft brown sugar
- 5 eggs beaten
- 10oz plain flour
- 4oz ground almonds
- 1/2tsp ground ginger
- 2tsp mixed spice
- 1 tbsp black treacle
- geared grind and juice of 1 lemon
- 10 oz sultanas
- 10 oz seedless raisins
- 6 oz currents
- 3 oz glace cherries washed dried and chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp brandy
1. Pre heat oven to gas 2, 300°F or 150°C. Line cake tin( I always 4 layer bottom and sides).
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs gradually with 1tbsp of flour each time.
3. Add spices, ground almond and treacle, mix well. Stir in half remaining flour with lemon find and juice dried fruit and cherries stirring thoroughly.
4. Add remaining flour and brandy.
5. Turn mixture in prepared cake tin making a slight hollow in the centre.
6. Bake towards bottom of the oven for 2 hrs then reduce temp to gas 1, 275°F, 140°C for another 1 1/2 -2 hrs.
7. Leave in the tin to cool until cold.
Then every week until 23rd December, I would poke holes half way through the cake and add brandy to the cake, then wrap it tightly back up until the following week.
On Christmas Eve, I unwrapped the cake added apricot jam to the sides and top of the cake before rolling out the marzipan onto ice the cake.
I then created Royal Icing as this was quicker and easier for me to create and didn't matter if it looked 'rough'.
- 675g icing sugar.
- 3 free range egg whites.
- 3 tsp lemon juice.
- 1 1/2 tsp glycerine.
1. Separate the egg whites from the yolk.
2. Whisk the egg whites until frothy before adding a tablespoon of icing sugar at a time, slowly whisking.
3. Add the lemon juice and glycerine. Beat the icing until stiff and in peaks.
4. Spread onto the cake and used a palette knife to rough it.
Have you made a Christmas cake this year? How did you decorate yours?
I really enjoyed making mine and will definitely be making it every year!
xxx
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