Recipe for ‘Little Dote’ Christmas Cakes
225g (8oz) butter
225g (8oz) pale soft brown sugar
6 eggs
285g (10z) flour
1 tsp mixed spice
35ml (2½ fl.oz) Irish whiskey
340g (12oz) best-quality sultanas
340g (12oz) best-quality currants
340g (12oz) best-quality raisins
110g (4oz) cherries
110g (4oz) homemade candied peel
55g (2oz) ground almonds
55g (2oz) whole almonds
Rind of 1 lemon
Rind of 1 orange
1 large or 2 small Bramley Seedling apples, grated
Grease and line 8 tins 4 inch (10cm) diameter x 1½ inch (4cm) deep. (We used springform tins from the Ballymaloe Shop)
Wash the cherries and dry them. Cut in two or four as desired. Blanch the almonds in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, rub off the skins and chop them finely. Mix the dried fruit, nuts, ground almonds and grated orange and lemon rind. Add about half the whiskey and leave for 1 hour to macerate.
Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas 3.
Cream the butter until very soft, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs and add in bit by bit, beating well between each addition so that the mixture doesn’t curdle. Mix the spice with the flour and stir in gently. Add the grated apple to the fruit and mix in gently but thoroughly (don’t beat the mixture again or you will toughen the cake.) Divide the mixture between the 8 prepared tins. Make a slight hollow in the centre, dip your hand in water and pat it over the surface of each cake: this will ensure that the top is smooth when cooked. Put into the preheated oven, bake at 160C/325F/gas 3, for 1½ hours - until cooked; test in the centre with a skewer - it should come out clean. Pour the rest of the whiskey over the cakes and leave to cool in the tins.
Next day remove from the tins. Do not remove the lining paper but wrap in some extra greaseproof paper and tin foil until required.
To ice the cakes:
To brush on the cake: 1 egg white, lightly beaten
Almond Paste - to ice the tops of the cakes
8oz (225g) ground almonds 8oz (225g) castor sugar 1 small egg A tiny drop of pure almond essence 1 tbsp Irish whiskey
Sieve the castor sugar and mix with the ground almonds. Beat the egg, add the whiskey and 1 tiny drop of pure almond essence, then add to the other ingredients and mix to a stiff paste. (You may not need all the egg.) Sprinkle the worktop with icing sugar, turn out the almond paste and work lightly until smooth.
Remove the paper from the cakes.
Put a sheet of greaseproof paper onto the worktop, dust with some icing sugar. Roll the almond paste out on the paper; it should be a little less than ½ inch (1cm) thick. Paint the top of each cake with the lightly beaten egg white and put the cake, sticky side down onto the almond paste.
Make sure the almond paste sticks to the cake and then cut around the edge and tidy and smooth the almond paste. For the ‘little dotes’ we just iced the top of the cakes.
Leave to dry overnight before applying Royal or Fondant Icing.
Royal Icing 1lb (450g) icing sugar 2 egg whites 2 tsp Strained lemon juice
Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl just until they begin to froth; then add the sieved icing sugar by the tablespoonful, beating well between each addition. If you are making the icing in an electric mixer, use the lowest speed. When all the icing sugar has been incorporated, add the lemon juice, and if you would like a slightly soft icing, add a few drops of glycerine. Beat until the icing reaches stiff peaks; scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth for 1 hour, or until you are ready to use the icing.
With a flexible palette knife, smear the icing over the top of each cake.
To achieve a snow-scene effect dab the palette knife onto the cake at irregular intervals so the icing comes up in little peaks. While the icing is still wet, stick on some Christmas Cake decorations, eg Santas, Christmas trees and robins or if you prefer use some frosted fruits or flowers.
If you like you could tie a ribbon or cake frill around the edges of the cakes.
