Christmas Cake courtesy of Mrs Beeton (& 27R)

Post by **Two7Right** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 1:57 pm

By popular (alright 1) demand in 'General Discussions' I present at great expense the following Christmas Cake recipe from Mrs Beeton, the 1912 edition. My own bolt-on goodies are at the end. Cost: 10d per lb.

Verbatim list:

1 lb of flour
1lb of butter
1lb of castor sugar
1 lb of sultanas
1 lb of currants
3/4 lb of mixed candied peel
2 lbs of flour
1/2 oz of baking powder
8 eggs
milk

Do your own metric conversions - I'm old fashioned that way!

Muck about with the quantities as desired.

I'm not going to insult anyone by explaining how to mix and bake a cake, but this makes about 7 lbs with a baking time of around 3 to 4 hours depending on the oven.

My own bolt-on goodies are :

1. Add as many glace cherries to the mix as desired, halved or not. I like a lot.

2. Add as much molasses to the mix as desired for purposes of enriching. (Be careful with this.)

3. Use 50% demarara sugar, 50% castor.

4. Add 2 or 3 measures of sweet sherry (but see alternative use of sherry below* (apart from drinking it, that is.)) Drinking sherry is of course an essential part of cake making.

*As an alternative to adding to the mix (or as well as, if you like living dangerously) and when the cake(s) have gone cold, prick the surface in several places with one of those long thin cake pricking forks and pour on sweet sherry or brandy. This yummy embellishment will soak into the cake and mature over the period October to 25 December. Air tight cake tin essential.

Eat at your own risk, I take no responsibility for the results.

Post by **Goddess** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:26 pm

Great recipe!!! Even got most of the ingredients in! (except for sherry - do you think a great big slug of cherry brandy would do instead?!)
Now if only I could locate marzipan and royal icing, I'd be in heaven!

Post by **Two7Right** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:37 pm

Cherry Brandy being a liqueur may be a bit too glutinous. I would be inclined to put it inside the cook instead.

Post by **Goddess** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:46 pm

I second that Two7right!!!

Post by **HEPZIBAH** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:19 pm

Goddess wrote:Great recipe!!! Even got most of the ingredients in! (except for sherry - do you think a great big slug of cherry brandy would do instead?!)
Now if only I could locate marzipan and royal icing, I'd be in heaven!

[face=Comic Sans MS]Cherry Brandy should be fine, but I would soak some of the fruit in it first over night rather than pour it into the cake afterwards.

Dried fruit soaked in cold tea or apple juice is also good just make sure you let it drain first before adding it to the mix, but you can use some of the left over liquer if the mix is a bit too thick and you need to let it down a bit.

Marzipan is always best made from fresh ingredients rather than the bought stuff, as is royal icing - I'll look out my mothers recipe for the marzipan/almond paste, it was always a winner, infact she always had to make extra for me to eat just on it's own. It also makes good petiti- fours.[/face]