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Ginger Christmas Cake |
This recipe won a competition run by Sainsbury's, a UK supermarket. I was faxed this recipe about 10 years ago, in the days of thermal paper, and it's getting pretty faded, as well as getting food all over it!
| Stuff you'll need.... | |
| 75g/3oz | diced dried apricots |
| 75g/3oz | diced dried dates |
| 75g/3oz | diced dried figs |
| 225g/8oz | raisins |
| 100g/4oz | stem ginger in syrup, drained & diced |
| 225g/8oz | glace cherries, halved |
| 75g/3oz | hazlenuts, lightly ground |
| 150ml/1/4UK pint | brandy |
| 150ml/1/4UK Pint | ginger wine, + 4 tbsp for adding once cooked |
| 150g/5oz | caster sugar |
| 150g/5oz | soft light brown sugar |
| 275g/10oz | soft margarine |
| 5 | large eggs |
| 100g/4oz | wholemeal flour |
| 175g/6oz | self raising white flour |
| 1 x 5ml tsp | baking powder |
| 2 x 5ml tsp | ground ginger |
| 1 x 5ml tsp | mixed spice |
| 50g/2oz | whole blanched almonds |
| 20.3cm/8" | round deep sided cake tin |
Method
Start preparation 3 days before baking. Wash dried fruit, ginger and cherries to remove all syrup. Dry thoroughly to remove all water before soaking in the brandy and ginger wine. Cover and stir. Leave for 2 days stirring occasionally. Add the ground hazlenuts and leave for a further day. Most of the liquid should then be absorbed into the fruit.It should look something like this:
 | Here it is soaking. |
Line the base and sides of the tin with parchment paper, making sure it stands up at least 5cm/2" above the rim of the tin. Preheat oven to 140oC/275oF/Gas Mark 1.
Cream sugars with the margarine until pale and fluffy. Lightly beat the eggs and gradually add half to the creamed mixture beating thoroughly after each addition. Add a couple of tablespoons of sieved flour to prevent the mixture from curdling before gradually beating in the remaining egg.Sieve flours with the baking powder and spices and fold into the above mixture using a metal spoon. Remove 3 tablespoons of the mixture for putting on top of the cake, and fold in prepared fruit into the remaining mixture.
Spoon the fruit mixture into the prepared tin and top with the reserved mix without fruit. Make a slight dip in the center to allow for even rising on cooking. Push whole almonds gently into the cake surface.
Bake on the lowest shelf in the oven for 3-4 hours covering with a layer of greased parchment paper halfway through cooking to prevent overbrowning.
Once cooked remove from the oven and pour over the ginger wine. Allow to cool completely in the tin before turning out.
This cake is not intended for marzipanning or icing but is best made in advance of Christmas to allow the delicious flavors to mingle and mature. Mmm Mmm Good!
It should end up looking something like this
