Maggie's Mums Traditional Christmas Cake Recipe

I have a very well worn piece of paper in front of me covered in stains and small tears (not "tears" as in "boo hoo", although there could be some of those on there too), entitled, "Maggie's mum's Christmas Cake. I  cannot for the life of me remember who Maggie is, let alone her mum. I've had this recipe since "forever" the tell tale sign that its in ounces and not grams gives it away as we have been metric in New Zealand for well over a decade, if not two. One thing I can assure you it's simple, rich and delicious. I have never shared this recipe with anyone before, let alone the world. Not because I am one of those people that hide my recipes or steep them in great mystery. With Maggie's mums Christmas cake, however, I think I had intended to go into production one day. Today I ask myself, am I really going to go into production turning my kitchen into a constant disorder making thousands of Christmas cakes supplying the likes of... Smith & Caughey, Harrods, Myers and Maceys? I am doubtful, so I've decided to share it with the world and let some other person go into production.

I just want to add, I realise there is a list of ingredients as long as your arm but they are all there for a reason and I have never missed one of them out. I think the strange addition of cocoa is for darkness, the curry powder I have never quite worked out but guess it helps to add a bit of  "spice". Its all delicious, healthy ingredients and its really yummy.

Maggie's Mum's Christmas Cake Recipe

Cooking time:

Cook cake in centre to bottom half of oven for 4-5 hours

Cook for one hour at 300F (180 Cel) and at 250 F (150 Cel) for 3-4 hours, test with a knitting needle. (A clue that Maggies Mum was a knitter.)


NOTE:


Recipe makes one 12" diameter deep sided cake cooking times as above or... 2 6" diameter cakes.


I grease the bottom of the cake tin and the sides and cut baking paper to fit the bottom and around the sides at least 3" higher than the sides of the tin as the cake is very big. I then grease the inside of the paper also.

Ingredients:

8oz butter

8 oz brown sugar

6 eggs (size 6) separated

2-4 oz blanched almonds           

2-4 oz cherries                        

4 oz mixed peel

1 lb Raisins

1 lb currants

1 lb sultanas

3 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon             

1 teaspoon ginger                    

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cloves

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp almond essence

One small orange minced up

1 tablespoon golden syrup or treacle

½ tablespoon black currant jam/jelly (if desired)

1 teaspoon cocoa

½ tsp curry powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ cup or 2 miniature bottles brandy

Method:

·        Cream butter and sugar and add egg yolk

·    Mix dry ingredients with fruit (dried and fresh) making sure all the fruit is separated (using fingers). Also add the vanilla essence, brandy and so on.

·      Add the dry ingredients and spices etc to the creamy butter, sugar and egg yolk mixture making sure this is THOROUGHLY MIXED(a huge pot is required. Thoroughly mix up.

·         Beat the egg whites until the foam stage and add to the mixture

·        Grease your tin thoroughly your mixture will look very fruity and should DROP from the spoon NOT pour and should NOT STICK. If you follow this carefully it will drop easily from the spoon.

·  Pack the mixture into the greased tin and pack well into the corners. You should have a reasonable hollow in the middle. This should result in a flat cake.

Only 4 days to go and I am running out of time to do my

fruit mince pie post so please forgive me

on this one. 

If you would like to see an easy way to ice this cake see my post on a pretty but simple decoration.

Lee oxo

& 

Poppy