Jen’s Christmas Cake
The kitchen smells amazing - it's Xmas cake time in our house.
But I've taken things to another level - instead of just the cakes for our house and a friend or two I'm making cakes for sale to locals as part of my Sweet Bake Delivery (set up in COVID as I searched for new ways to work and wanted do something for lonely locals and key workers) and posted out to lovely customers too.
I'm even trying out a vegan Xmas cake on a local friend - substituting flax for the eggs and using lovely Naturli vegan butter. I've found a beautiful new organic rum made by the local Da Mhile Distillery which I'm marinating the fruits overnight in before baking each cake.
We always make a wish when we stir the cake - so I've made a wish for each cake this time too. Once cooled the cakes will then be fed more rum and stored away and then fed weekly for the next 4 weeks before being sent out/delivered.
Here's a recipe - you absolutely still have time, and it's the most perfect thing to munch on when back from a wintery walk with a cuppa or a tot of rum - it also keeps for months! All that rum...!
Jens Xmas cake with Da Mhile Organic Rum
470g currants
245g sultanas
245g raisins
100g glace cherries chopped
1 lemon zest and juice
1 orange zest and juice
100ml Da Mhile Organic Rum (you can use brandy here too) plus more for feeding
275g butter / vegan butter
275g brown sugar
4 large eggs (or 4 flax eggs)
1 tbsp molasses
275g plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Large pinch fine sea salt
Blanched almonds to decorate
Mix all fruit with citrus zest & juice, rum and cover and leave over night.
Take one 20cm baking tin with high sides, line bottom and sides.
Preheat oven to 150 degrees
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and molasses and mix, add dry ingredients and mix again, then add the marinated fruits and mix with a wish. Pop into lined tin. Decorate with blanched almonds. If you want to decorate later with nuts and fruit when cooked please do - or marzipan and ice if that is what you prefer.
Take a folded (so double) wrap of baking parchment and wrap around the outside of the tin and tie string to hold in place. Make a double circle of baking parchment to place over the top of the cake (leave a little hole so the cake can breathe steam). You will need to do this to stop the cake burning - it needs a long bake due to high fruit content.
Place on a baking tray and bake for 3.5/4 hours or until a skewer comes out clean when put into cake.
Leave to cool and remove from tin. Turn upside down and use a skewer to make holes and pour a couple of spoons of rum into cake. Wrap well and store in a cool dark place - feed once a week - or as much as you like.
It is ready whenever you are.
Jen Goss
If you liked this piece, you might also like Cauliflower Coconut Rice and Sweet Potato Soup