CHRISTMAS CAKES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 13, Issue 338, 14 December 1945, Page 22

CHRISTMAS CAKES

ROSPECTS for making Christmas cakes are _ certainly brighter this year. Butter is the chief problem, but people are experimenting with a mixture of fats, and are kindly sending in their findings for me to pass on to you. One Link in our Daisy Chain uses lard and lemon-juice, allowing 140z. of lard instead of l60z. of butter, and the juice of one lemon. She says, "If you cream it well, you cannot tell the difference. I even use lard for making small cakes, but the secret of success is to use a little less lard than butter-and the lemon jyice." Another Link makes‘a splendid shortening with poultry fat, the yellow fat which is generally thrown away. In cities we can buy this fat at some poultry shops, She puts 1lb. poultry fat and IIb. cod-fat (outside ‘beef-fat) into a saucepan with a cup of cold water, the juice of a lemon, and a pinch of salt, and "renders" it very slowly over low heat until the solid has become just a shrivelled ball. Then strain the liquid fat into a basin, and leave to set. It does not get hard, but is a very good soft cooking fat. For a good Christmas cake, this Link uses 20z. butter and 1%lb. of this fat to 2 cups of flour, 12lb. of sugar, 14% to 2lb. of fruit, 5 eggs and a tablespoon of golden -syrup,

Good Christmas Cake Half a pound of butter, 5 eggs, 1 teaspoon baking-powder, 10oz. flour, 14 teaspoon each of following seven essences: vanilla, lemon, pineapple, brandy, cherry, almond, and any other flavouring at all, Yalb. sugar, 2lb. fruit, %4 to % teaspoon scurry powder. Prepare fruit, and sprinkle with flour. Put in a warm place while creaming butter and sugar. Also have flour sifted ready, and in a warm place. When butter and sugar are nicely creamed, add eggs one at a time, and sprinkle in a little flour with each egg, to prevent curdling. Now add curry powder, then fruit and flour alternately, baking-powder \last. Quickly turn mixture into well-greased tin, and bake in moderate oven for approximately 314 hours; oven 300deg. to begin with, and after the first 45 minutes, the heat may’ be lowered. rs Ginger Ale Christmas Cake One and a-quarter pounds of butter, 1¥21b. flour, 1b. currants, 11b. sultanas, 4oz. cherries, 2 tablespoons glycerine, 1 grated nutmeg, a pinch of salt, 1b. sugar, 12 eggs, 1lb. raisins, 121b. peel, 4oz. of ground almonds, tablespoons brandy (optional), 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 bottle ginger ale. Cut up the fruit very fine, and soak all night in ginger ale.. Cream the butter and sugar, and eggs well beaten, little by little, not to have the mixture curdle; beat well. Then add flour and spices, fruit, and lastly the glycerine_and brandy. This cake requires approximately 442 hours’ cooking. Usual heat for rich fruit cakes (Regulo 2 or 3 or 290deg. to 320deg.) gradually reducing the heat if cake gets too brown, Half

quantities may be used. If using packaged fruit, about 342lb. This cake will keep for a year. Cold Oven Christmas Cake This recipe comes from the Dunedin lady who was runner-up in our Apple Pie Competition at the Centennial Exhibition. Light* the oven only a minute before putting in the cake. Put cake on middle shelf and bake approximately 4 to 5 hours, according to depth of cake. Have the regulo at 3 for first 144 hours, then at 2 for another hour, and at 0 for the rest of the time. Her mixture is 14lb, butter, 4lb. sugar, 5 eggs, 140z. flour, just a "shake" of baking powder, a pinch of salt, fruit according to richness desired, about 2lb.; flavouring essences as desired. : Christmas Cake (with Golden Syrup) (Keeps Well) One pound of flour, %4lb. light brown sugar, 6 eggs, i1lb. currants, lb. almonds, large cup milk, 1 teaspoon baking powder, %41b. butter, 4 tablespoons golden syrup, 1lb, raisins, 1lb, sultanas, Y4lb. cherries, Y4lb. mixed peel. Sift baking powder with flour. Now beat sugar and butter to a cream, add eggs one by one, and beat well after each egg. When all eggs are in, add fruit little at a time, and still beat well until all the fruit is . used. Warm the milk and golden syrup, and add, and lastly add the flour and’ baking powder, Bake about 4 hours.

Ships’ Fruit Cake ’ Half a pound of butter, 2 large cups flour, 1 tablespoon raspberry jam, or home-made gooseberry, 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 42 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon golden syrup, 1 egg, 1 to 1141b. mixed fruit. Cream butter and sugar, add egg and beat. Add golden syrup, jam, and vinegar; then flour and fruit, and lastly add the soda and milk, Bake in a moderate oven, slowly, as for a Christmas Cake-approx. 21% hours. This is a cheap g00d cake for a standby at Christmas time, and saves the richer cakes.