MINI Christmas cakes are always lovely gifts, particularly for the older members of the family who love the traditional touch of Christmas.
TRADITIONALLY, it’s that time of the year when Christmas beckons and already we are beginning to see the first decorations and gift ideas up in the bigger shops. It’s also the time of year I look to make the Christmas cakes and while I make a large one for the family, I also like to make small ones for gifts.
This recipe lends itself well to this; you can get the mini spring form pans or even the large Texas muffin pans for it. I bake, decorate and then put a simple ribbon around the outside.
Like all fruit cakes, they do better with a bit of maturity and are best tightly wrapped in greaseproof paper and gladwrap and stored in a cool place to do that until you are ready to gist them a couple of weeks before Christmas – you can do the topping at that point. Muffins, if you are making them, are best frozen.
I will use sherry or rum to help plump up the fruit overnight providing a cake that is always moist – the cooking process removes any alcohol content.
It is also a really good recipe to adapt for a large family sized Christmas cake – simply double the mixture to make two medium-sized Christmas cakes (20cm) or one large, deep (26cm) and one mini Christmas cake. Triple line the sides of cake tin with baking paper, ensure it extends above the sides. You’d need to change the cooking times for the larger cake to around two-and-a-half hours at 150C, checking at the two-hour mark with a skewer. If making the big-sized cake, I’d add in an additional two eggs.
Ingredients:
125g butter
- C soft brown sugar
1kg mixed dried fruit
- pkt glace cherries
- small tin crushed pineapple (juice included)
1/2 C sherry
- tsp mixed spice
- tsp baking soda
- tbsp golden syrup
- eggs
225g plain flour
- tsp baking powder
- Tbsp orange zest
Topping:
200g dried fruit, roughly chopped – I use cherries, banana, apricot, mango – whatever is on hand.
240g nuts such as pecans, almonds, walnuts
- cup golden syrup
Method:
Soak the fruit and cherries in the sherry overnight, covering the bowl tightly with gladwrap. Don’t drain it.
Put butter, sugar, fruit, pineapple, spice, baking soda and syrup into a saucepan. Cook over a medium heat for two minutes, stirring often. Allow to cool for at least an hour. Heat oven to 150°C and grease four mini springform pans.
Beat eggs and stir through cooled fruit mix. Sift dry ingredients then mix thoroughly with the fruit mixture and ad. orange zest. Spoon into pans then bake for 60- 65 minutes. Test with a skewer at about the 55-minute mark and remove if clear, you don’t want to overcook. Decorate with topping once cool.
Topping:
Heat syrup, mix in fruit and nuts then spoon mixture carefully on to cakes and allow to set.
