Oh the goodness of Christmas pudding and cake! Here are two of our favorite recipes. Make sure you read the instructions from beginning to end before you start if you are a first time Christmas cake maker. Brandy soaked fruit is essential for a good cake!
Sarah’s Christmas cake
335 g butter
475 g brown sugar
6 medium eggs
750 g flour (half wholemeal, half high grade white)
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
1.875 g mixed cake fruit
150 ml brandy
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
150 mls boiling milk
- Soak fruit in brandy for up to a week
- Cream butter and sugar, then beat in eggs one at a time
- Add dry ingredients together with the baking soda dissolved in the boiling milk
- Mix in the fruit
- Put the mixture in a 10” square tin lined with lunchwrap paper, and bake at about 140 degrees (depending on how hot your oven is) for 2 hours. Reduce heat to 120 deg for about another hour.
- Place cake on rack and allow to cool.
This cake is great with a glaze, or you can ice it if you prefer.
Marion’s Christmas pudding recipe
This recipe is great to make with kids- lots of mixing in a big bowl with a big spoon! It makes two Christmas puddings.
120g flour (or gluten free flour mix) 140ml ale, beer, stout or milk
50g breadcrumbs 125g currants
1 tsp mixed spice 125g sultanas
1 tsp cinnamon 250g raisins
1 tsp nutmeg 125g dried apricots or prunes
110g Kremalta 110g chopped blanched
110g brown sugar almonds
110g grated apple grated rind and juice of ½ lemon
1 small grated carrot grated rind of 1/2 orange
125g mixed candied peel 1 Tbsp molasses
Mix all ingredients together, stir well and leave overnight if possible.
- Split pudding mixture in half and place in two bowls. Cover each with greaseproof paper- and then foil- and tie it on with string. Tie the string tightly and make a string handle to help take it out of the pot.
- Steam or boil for 6-8 hours. If you don’t have a steamer, put the pudding in a large pot with an upside down saucer at the bottom. Fill the pot with boiling water (up to 1/3 up the bowl) and cover the pot. Make sure the water doesn’t completely boil away while cooking!
- Remove from pot, cool and replace the paper and foil coverings. Store in a cool place until Christmas.
Steam for 2 hours on Christmas Day or cook in microwave for 10 minutes on high.
Happy cake and pudding making to you!
