How To Bake Christmas Cake

Tips For Baking a Christmas Cake

Ingredients

• Flour: It is advisable to use self-rising flour for baking Christmas Cake. However, if you want to use all-purpose flour, for every 1 cup of flour, use ¼ tsp salt and ½ tsp for baking powder.
• Brown sugar: The flavoring, moistening, and coloring agent of Christmas cakes, it brings in a delightful flavor. Use 1/8 oz of brown sugar for every 1 oz of all-purpose flour used.
• Butter: Butter adds richness and softness to the cake. Use flour and butter in 1:1 ratio.
• Spices: You can use a wide variety of spices including mixed spice, nutmeg, mixed peel, orange rind, and lemon rind to enrich the cake flavor.
• Dry fruits: Dry fruits are important ingredients of Christmas cakes. Use an assortment of currants, sultanas, and raisins in the same amount of flour used, that is 1:1 proportion. Add glazed cherries in the proportion of 1/8^th of flour used. That is, for every 1 oz of flour, use 1/8 oz of cherries.
• Brandy/Rum/Sherry: The alcohol gives a delightful flavor to these celebration cakes. While traditionally brandy is preferred, you can also use sherry or rum. You just need 3 tbsp for soaking the dry fruits.
• Eggs: The dough binders, eggs tenderize the batter and keep it moistened and soft.

Instructions 

1. You should always soak dry fruits overnight in the brandy. Keep stirring often for even absorption of alcohol by the dried fruits.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F or to the temperature specified by the recipe.
3. While lining the cake tin, always take care to fit the greaseproof liner into corners. This is essential to give the cake a good shape.
4. Bring the butter and eggs to room temperature before creaming.
5. Always sift flour, sugar, and spices before mixing.
6. Add butter to dry mixture and cream well. Then add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
7. Fold in the dry fruits only after creaming butter well.
8. Place a baking tin filled with 2 pints water at the bottom rack of oven to moisten the oven atmosphere.
9. Do not open the oven door before cake is completely baked.
10. Once the cake is cold, sprinkle a little soaking mixture.
11. Wrap the cake in greaseproof paper and foil, and store in a cool dry place. Feed a little soaking mixture after few weeks.
12. Frost the cake just the day before Christmas and allow the frosting to set overnight.

Voila! Your cake is ready. Now that you have learnt how to bake a Christmas cake, make the festive day even merrier!

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