EASY PEASY CHRISTMAS CAKE

EASY PEASY CHRISTMAS CAKE

This year why don’t you make your own Christmas cake, not only is it better value for money but it will impress your family and friends too. I like to make 4 or 5 cakes as they make great Christmas gifts.

Make this Christmas extra special this year and bake your loved ones this beautifully rich Christmas fruit cake. 

INGREDIENTS 

- 850g Mixed fruit & peal (Asda sell 500g smart price bags)
- 50g Glacé Cherries, chopped
- 100ml Brandy
- 225g Plain Flour
- Half teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
- 225g Unsalted butter (Room temp)
- 225g Soft Brown Sugar 
- 4 Large Eggs (Room temp)
- 50g Chopped Almonds
- 1 tablespoon black treacle
- Grated zest of 1 Lemon and 1 Orange

HOW TO:

1. First things first, pour mixed fruit and cherries into a large bowl and mix in 100ml of Brandy. Cover with cling and leave over night and let the fruit drink up all the brandy. 

2. Next day: Pre-heat oven to 120cFAN/140c/Gas1. Measure out all the ingredients and line a tall sided 9” or 10” cake tin with parchment paper. Delia Smith has some great tips on how to line cake tins:-http://www.deliaonline.com/how-to-cook/baking/how-to-line-a-cake-tin.html

3.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. 

4. Sift the flour, salt, mixed spice into the butter and sugar mixture and mix till its roughly combined. 

5. Beat eggs into separate bowl and add them into the butter, sugar and flour mixture little by little while beating. Its ok if it curdles a little, its a very dense cake. 

6. Fold in fruit, almonds, lemon/orange zest and black treacle (grease the spoon and will help the treacle to slide off the spoon)

7. Pour the mixture into the lined cake tin, spread out evening and bang the tin on the kitchen surface a few times to release any trapped air bubbles. Also a little tip to get a level top when baked is to make a little delve with the back of a spoon in the middle of the mixture. 

8. Before placing the cake into the oven, cover the cake tin with a double layer of parchment paper, make a hole in the middle to let out steam. This will protect the cake from catching during its long slow bake.

10. Bake on the lowest shelf in the oven and bake for around 4.5 hours. Check the cake after 4 hours with a knife or skewer by probing it into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean then its done if not leave it in longer.

11. Let the cake cool for 30 to 40 minuets and then remove from the tin and place onto a wire rack to finish cooling. 

12. Using a skewer make small holes in the top and base of the cake, then brush brandy all over. Feed one side of the cake brandy every 1 and a half weeks and turn the cake over until your ready to ice or eat it.

APPLE CRUMBLE CAKE

APPLE CRUMBLE CAKE

Whats not to love? Apple Crumble Meets Fluffy Rich Cake.. I know right! match made in heaven. Even better with a generous dollop of British clotted cream! 

INGREDIENTS

- 225g Self Raising Flour
- 225g Unsalted Butter (Softened-Room temp)
- 225g Soft Brown Sugar
- 225g Granny Smith Apples & 225g Bramley Apples
- 4 Medium Eggs (Room temp)
- Juice & Zest of 1 lemon
- 25g Ground Almonds
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Cornish Sea Salt

CRUMBLE TOPPING

- 110g Unsalted Butter
- 110g Demerara Sugar
- 180g Plain Flour

  

THINGS YOU WILL NEED

- Clean hands
- 500g Loaf Tin.. Greased & Lined through the middle with a rectangle sized piece of parchment so its easier to   lift the cake out. 
- Large mixing bowl 
- Wooden Spoon
- Whisk 
- Scales
- Cooling rack

HOW TO:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Lightly greasy a 500g loaf tin and cut a approx 30 by 8cm piece of parchment and place it down in the middle of the tin. This will make it easier to get the cake out of the tin without making a mess.

2. Peel, core and slice apples into 1cm chunks. Toss in lemon juice to stop oxidation and retain freshness.

3. With a whisk, cream together the unsalted butter, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, adding a little flour with each addition to keep the mixture smooth.

4. Sift the remaining flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into the bowl and fold in with the ground almonds. Drain the apple pieces well, then stir into the mixture.

5.  Pour into the prepared loaf tin and gently using a spatula or spoon level the top.

6. CRUMBLE TOPPING In a separate bowl rub the butter into the flour and sugar till it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Sprinkle a generous amount on top of the cake batter. 

7. Bake in the oven for 45 minuets to 1 hour. Check with a knife or skewer at around 40 minuets in, if it comes out clean then its done, if not give it couple more minuets.

8. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minuets to avoid the cake falling apart. Pull the cake out by the parchment paper instead of tipping it upside down ( dont want to loose all of that yummy crumble topping ).

Best served with good quality clotted cream or creme fresh or even salted caramel sauce with vanilla ice cream nom! nom!

CHOCOLATE ORANGE OLIVE OIL CAKE

CHOCOLATE ORANGE OLIVE OIL CAKE

If you have an intolerance to gluten and your a chocoholic then this maybe thee cake for you! Its intense rich chocolateness, zingy orange and brownie like texture is highly addictive!

INGREDIENTS

- 150ml Olive Oil * or any other cooking oils
- 50g Cocoa Powder
- 125ml Boiling water
- 2tsp Vanilla Extract or 1 Pod
- 150g Ground Almonds
- 1/2tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- Pinch of salt
- 200g caster sugar or light brown muscovado sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 large orange grated zest
- 200g 70% dark chocolate bar (Gluten free)

HOW TO:

1. Preheat oven to FAN170C/160C/Gas3. Grease a 9” cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.

2. Sift cocoa powder into a jug and pour 4oz of boiling water, mix to make a paste. Add vanilla extract or pod and mix through. Set aside to cool a little.

3. In a bowl pour ground almonds, flour, bicarb & salt and mix with a whisk to break up any lumps.

4. Melt dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water.. don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. When melted set aside to cool a little.

5. Pour oil, sugar and eggs into a free standing mixer or handheld mixer, beat till thick and creamy, around 3 minuets of mixing on high speed. While the mixture is mixing, grate orange peal and add to the oil, sugar and egg mixture.

6. Turn the speed down and slowly add the melted chocolate, make sure its not too hot. Then add the cocoa paste and beat for 1 minuet.

7. Fold in the dry ingredients until well mixed.

8. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 30 to 40 minuets. Cake is very delicate so will need to be cooled for 10-15 minuets before taking out of the tin.

* perfect warm or cold with good quality vanilla ice cream :)