Feeling festive and fancy trying your hands at a Christmas Cake this year, but you aren't a fan of brandy and mixed peel isn't your bag?
Well, I have just the recipe for you!
And no, you are not too late to get it baked. There is still plenty of time xx
Right, let's stir it up and let me re-awaken your love for Christmas Cake again...
Your new favourite Christmas Cake Recipe
That link above will give you a downloadable version of the Christmas Cake recipe that you can save and keep for when you are ready to bake rather than coming back here every time. If you are anything like me, I like my recipes all together, along with my scribbles of changes and amends! Below I have gone through some key info about what makes Bitesize Bakehouse's Christmas Cake recipe different so that you know what your are getting. I have also included details around my top tips for you to read through to make sure your cake is a success this Christmas too. Please feel free to reach out (via email hello@bitesizebakehouse.com or Instagram @bitesizebakehouse with any questions and all the pictures as your bake!)
This isn't your traditional Christmas Cake recipe. Let's dive in:
What makes this Christmas Cake Recipe different from all the rest?
Ok, so I will start by saying the first thing you will notice is that there is probably half as much dried fruit in this recipe compared to others... and also not a sign of any mixed peel or Glace cherries! It might be an unpopular opinion, but I am not a fan of either. I like a bit more actual 'cake' in my cake so the total weight reduction in fruit allows for the base batter to shine through a little more and gives us a light fruit cake version instead of the density you would normally expect from a Christmas cake.
The next thing that is different is the inclusion of chocolate! For me, traditional fruit cake can be a bit overwhelming. Often times, it can be overloaded with alcohol and then you lose site of all the gorgeous spices and inclusions that can work so wonderfully together. By adding the chocolate to smooth out the base, and reducing the quantity of fruit, we have a chance to let all the components work together.
Personally (and this really is a personal preference!) I find that Brandy is waaaay too much of a kicker for this cake. Sorry Christmas Cake purists! Your alcohol selection and quality will make or break your cake so choose carefully. Given my heritage, Rum is my alcohol of choice and I will staunchly standby this choice given how well it works together with the cinnamon and spice notes of this cake - not even mentioning the nuts and chocolate. It is a match made in heaven I tell you.
I baked my cake last weekend (16th November) so that it can have a few weeks of feeds before I decorate it but I have baked it much closer to the big day in the past and it will still totally work. Read on for top tips to flex your bake timings and still have a fab end result.
Top tips for making and baking your Christmas Cake
If you can, soak your fruit the day before you bake. This just gives the fruit extra time to soak up all that delicious Rum. If you don't have the time, 1-2 hours will be fine but make sure you still pour in all the juices left in the bottom of the bowl into the batter when you mix in the fruit. Waste not want not and all that!
Don't worry if your batter splits when you add your eggs in initially. This tends to just be a temperature difference or because of the ratios of liquid. If you have mixed your butter and sugar until fluffy, it will reduce this issue but when you add in your melted chocolate and given it a good stir it should come back together beautifully. From the chocolate stage onwards you should have a silky smooth batter to be working with.
Double line your pans before baking. This is super important because the cake is cooked low and SLLLOOOWW. We really don't want the edges of the cake catching so line the bottom and sides of the cake tin with baking paper and then double it right up. This cake is a labour of love so setting it up for a comfortable bake is the least we can do!
The total baking time for this cake will be hugely dependent on a few things. The tin you choose (thickness of walls and also size) and your oven. You can cook this cake in two smaller 6 inch tins or one larger 9 inch. If you go 9 inch, obviously the cake will take longer to cook through so check after 3 hours but expect to continue that bake for approximately 30mins or more. I often bake 2 6 inch tins because I like to give one away each year and then keep on for our family. When I do this, my oven cooks them in 3 hours (both in the same oven side by side). You will know your ovens so set a timer for around 3 quarter of the way through the bake time to check in and adjust the remaining time accordingly.
When baked, allow the cake to cool completely then tightly wrap it (twice) in cling film (bonus points for a compostable version!). You want to store your cakes in an airtight container so they don't dry out in-between feeds and before decorating.
How to make this Christmas Cake recipe your own...
Easy swaps for your Christmas Cake to make it truly your own can be found in the fruit and nut department. As long as you keep the total weight the same, you'll be fine. Swap back in a few of the Glace Cherries maybe? Don't like Pecans? Give the traditionalists a nod and get the Walnuts taking centre stage again. As long as its a dried fruit and you stick to the total weight rule, you can make your own Christmas Cake version that is all yours and start a brand new tradition this year!!
Use your favourite tipple - but make sure it's good quality! Honestly, it does seem weird and some can see it as a waste, but the better quality you can afford to include in the cake, the better the end taste. Using good liquor (or wine for that matter) when baking is as important as drinking it, I promise. You don't need that much for this recipe either. I use The Lost Years Arribada Rum for the initial fruit soak for its cask aged mellow spicy notes, and then Bumbu (the Original) for the follow on cake feeds for its truly West Indian full bodied flavour and fruitiness.
Isn't it too late to bake a Christmas Cake?
Absolutely not. If anything, I would say don't even bother making this before November has rolled around!! Even if you are reading this on the 2nd week of December - Grab your apron, there is still time!
The idea of baking your Christmas cake early (some do it up to 6 months in advance!!!!) is that there is plenty of alcohol and sugar in it to preserve the cake. This one isn't quite so dense and doesn't need that level of time to come to full maturity. If you have 3 -4 weeks of time to 'feed' the cake, that would be ideal but we can do it in less if needs be.
How often to 'feed' your Christmas Cake? and actually, what does 'feeding' your Christmas Cake even mean?!
Feeding your Christmas Cake is just a way of describing how we add more alcohol to the cake overtime for it to absorb. This is how I like to feed mine:
I always start from the bottom. So the day after I have baked the cake, I bring it back out an unwrap it. I turn the cakes upside-down so the top is now the bottom. Using a skewer, I will make small holes all over the surface of the cake and then pour approximately 1 tablespoon of rum across the top. I use the base of the spoon to quickly spread the liquid all the way across the surface of the cake so it soaks in evenly. I then wrap up the cake and store away in an airtight container until the next feed. Make sure you keep the cake stored the same way up as you have just fed it to give the alcohol a chance to percolate through. After around 1 week, I do exactly the same thing again but with the original top of the cake. This process repeats until I am ready to decorate. When you come to decorate, make sure you haven't fed the cake in the last 3-4 days as you don't want to be trying to ice a wet cake top. It'll drive you absolutely potty.
Baked your Christmas Cake late? No worries. Just move up your feed schedule and do it every 3 days instead. If you have managed to feed your cake around 4 times as a minimum you'll be golden.
Decorating your Christmas Cake
Wow. I mean, if you've made it this far then well done you. It's a wordy one today isn't it! Goodness me. I think decorating the cake needs it's own post doesn't it? I will report back soon with some more detail and pictures but if you want to prep ahead you'll need to get in the following items so we are ready to go:
Apricot Jam*
Marzipan*
Fondant Icing*
Icing sugar (just a little for dusting)
*Full disclosure - I do not make these from scratch and will absolutely be buying them in ready made. Hat's off to you if you are going all in and making your own but I won't be your lady for info there! Sorry. You have to give yourself a break and know your limits and this, as it turns out, is mine! :-)
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