CHRISTMAS CAKES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 December 1938, Page 20 (Supplement)

CHRISTMAS CAKES

SOME TESTED RECIPES. Apart from the sentimental associations and the nutritious value of a good Christmas cake, it is so universally liked and has such splendid keeping qualities that it is a splendid standby to put away in a tiii in readiness for an unexpected rush of visitors or those bad moments when you find you have “nothing much” in the house for afternoon tea. Make your cakes now, put them away to mellow and leave the icing alone to be done during Christmas week.

All fruit should be well washed and prepared beforehand, and good cooks nowadays are very emphatic about the advantage of real fresh orange and lemon rind over candied peel.

Good Colonial Recipe.

1 This mixture makes two mediumsized cakes or one very large one. Ingredients.—llb butter , t 11b sugar, IJlb flour (self-raising), 10 eggs, 11b seeded raisins, chopped small, -Jib almonds blanched and chopped, 11b sultanas, lib currants, Jib mixed peel, 1 packet spice, .Jib cherries, 1 grated nutmeg, 1 grated rind of a lemon, 2 cups caramel and 1 teacup of rum. Method. —Beat the butter and sugar until white and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Now take another basin and sift in flour. To the flour add the fruit, spice, nuts, peel and nutmeg. Add the beaten mixture to this, also the caramel and rUm. Put in two (or one) lined tins, and bake in a moderate oven for four hours. Leave in the tin until cold. Old English Cake. This is a plain cake made with IJlb of flour, into which 6oz of lard and 4oz of butter are rubbed. Add another Jib of flour mixed with one teaspoon of baking powder and Jib of brown sugar. Then add Jib of raisins, -Jib of finely chopped dates, Jib of currants and Jib of finely chopped mixed candied peel. Stir well, moisten with three whole eggs beaten up with a little over J pint of milk. Pour the mixture in a greased tin lined with paper and bake for about 2J hours or a little longer, in a moderate oven at first and then in a slow oven. When cold, put the cake away in a tin until it is time to ice it. Traditional Recipe. Here is another traditional English Christmas cake, easily made with selfraising flour. The quantities given will make about 71b. Beat lib of butter to a cream with lib of sugar, and add 8 eggs, one at a time, beating continuously. Then add 21b self-raising flour, 11b of sultanas, Jib of currants, Jib of chopped dates, and Jib of finely shredded mixed candied peel gradually, and moisten with a little milk and brandy (optional) till the right consistency. Put the mixture at once' into a greased tin and bake for about 2J hours in a moderate oven. ‘ Economical Cake. One pound plain flour, Jib sugar, Jib butter, Jib currants, Jib sultanas, Jib peel, 1 teaspoon carbonate soda, 1 teaspoon spice, 1 cup milk, 4 eggs. Sift the flour, spice and carbonate soda well. Rub in the butter till it resembles breadcrumbs, then add the fruits and peel. Beat the eggs well, add the milk, then add to dry ingredients—mix well. Place in a prepared round cake tin and bake in a moderate oven from 1J to 2 hours. When cooked remove from the tin and place on a cake cooler.