Christmas Cake (from the UK )

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Ingredients

Method

Sieve, together the flour, spice and ground almonds. Cream butter and sugar, stir in flour mixture and eggs with milk (alternately, a little at a time). Wash and add the fruit. Mix thoroughly.

Place the mixture in a greased and lined 9 inch / 23 cm round or 8 inch / 20 cm square tin. Protect the tin on the outside so it is 3 inches / 7.5 cm above the tin with brown paper or foil.

Bake in slow oven at 150°C / 300°F / Gas Mark 2 for about 4 1/2 hours. Cover the top of the cake after 3 hours with some foil. This stops it burning. You can check if it cooked by putting a skewer in the cake. If it is clean when it comes out, the cake is probably cooked, you can finally check by listening to it. If you can hear bubbling, it needs a bit longer.

The cake needs to cool in its tin for at least 30 mins before going on to a cooling rack. Then after it is cooled, you can apply the Marzipan and Icing.

Marzipan

Ingredients

Method

Place dry ingredients in a bowl. Add lemon juice, then just enough beaten egg to make a pliable paste. (or you can buy it in a super market!)

Level top of cake if necessary, by trimming with a knife, or adding pieces of Marzipan. Brush the cake with lemon curd or apricot jam. Cut off 1/3 of the Marzipan. Cover the worktop with icing sugar and roll out the remaining 2/3 of Marzipan into a strip the depth of, and long enough to go round, the cake. Press the marzipan on to sides of cake. Roll out the remainder of the Marzipan into a circle, press on top of cake.

Smooth all the joins with a knife or rolling pin, to give a level top with a sharp edge to the sides of the cake. Cover with greaseproof paper and leave to dry for about a week before decorating with the Icing.

Royal Icing

Ingredients

Method

Lightly beat egg whites and lemon juice together. Sieve the icing sugar, add half to the egg whites and beat well. Add the remainder of the Icing sugar gradually, stirring well until stiff enough to stand in peaks in the bowl.

Secure the cake to a cake board (or what ever it will be displayed on,with a little icing before you ice and decorate the cake. Using a palette knife or broad bladed knife, cover the entire cake with an even thickness of icing. (Keeping the knife warm will help to spread the Icing. Occasionally dipping it in a mug of warm water works!!!))

For a rough 'snow' effect, pull the icing up into peaks with the flat of the knife. Add decorations before the icing sets

For a smooth finish, level top and sides with a knife. (use the warm knife trick again!)