Christmas cake recipe

[lj1977]

Hi there
does anyone have a fool proof easy recipe that they could share with me? never made one but am intending to do so this Christmas
Thanks!

[KarniF00l]

Easy Christmas Cake

Ingredients

* 230g Butter
* 1 cup Sugar
* 1 teaspoon Caramel
* 6 Eggs
* 230g Sultanas
* 230g Currants
* 230g Raisins
* 230g Citron Peel
* 60g Dates or Figs chopped
* 60g chopped Almonds
* 2 1/2 cups Plain Flour
* 1/2 cup Brandy or Sherry (optional)

You will need

An 18 cm round or square cake tin, mixing bowl, beater baking paper or foil and a skewer .

Directions

* Beat butter and sugar to a cream
* Add beaten eggs one at a time while beating
* Add fruit and nuts
* Add flour and brandy/sherry mixing well
* Line an 18 cm round or square cake tin
* Pour in mixture
* Bake in a slow oven at 135 - 150 for 3 to 3 1/2 hours
* Test by piercing with a skewer. If the skewer comes out clean the cake is done
* Allow to cool in the tin


and if you want to decorate it.. here's the ingredients and directions...

Easy decorated Christmas cake


A rich fruit cake can be covered 6 months ahead while a boiled or melt and mix fruit cake can be covered 1 month ahead. Store the covered cake in an airtight container in a cool dry place.

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup (150g) sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) water
22cm round or 19cm square fruit cake
Covered board
2 x 500g packets almond flavoured cake paste
pure icing sugar
2 x 500g packets soft icing (fondant)
75cm ribbon
silver cachous


ROYAL ICING

1 egg white
1 cup (160g) pure icing sugar
¼ teaspoon lemon juice

METHOD

1. To make the sugar syrup, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan, stir over a low heat, without boiling, until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat.
2. Trim the top of the fruit cake flat and turn upside down on the board. Fill the holes in the cake with small pieces of the almond flavoured cake paste.
3. Knead the cake paste until smooth on a surface dusted with sifted icing sugar. (If cake paste is too firm, remove the foil and microwave on HIGH for up to 15 seconds.) Roll the paste on a surface dusted with sifted icing sugar until large enough to cover the top and sides of the cake.
4. Brush the cake all over with the warm sugar syrup then gently lift the cake paste onto the cake with a rolling pin. Smooth the icing onto the cake with sugared hands.
5. Trim the excess paste from the base with a sharp knife. Stand the cake at room temperature for several hours or until firm to touch.
6. Knead the soft icing until smooth on a surface dusted with sifted icing sugar. Roll the icing as for the cake paste, brush the cake with sugar syrup and cover with the soft icing as before.
7. Royal Icing: Beat the egg white in a small bowl with a fork until frothy; discard half of the egg white. Beat in the sifted icing sugar, about 2 teaspoons at a time, with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms very firm peaks; stir in the juice. Keep the surface of the icing covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
8. Attach the ribbon to the cake with a small amount of the Royal Icing at the join. Attach the cachous to the top of the cake with tiny amounts of icing. Stand until set.
Not suitable to freeze.

Sugar syrup suitable to microwave.

COOK'S NOTE: Covered boards are available from cake decorator's supply shops, some health food stores or cake shops. You can also use a large flat plate. Cachous (small round cake decorating sweets), cake paste and soft icing are available from most supermarkets and health food stores.

Enjoy!!! :xmas: