Five classic Christmas dessert recipes from the pastry team at Hayfield Manor

From mince pies to yule log, here are some festive recipes from the team at the five-star hotel

Seasonal treats from Hayfield Manor. Pictures: Chani Anderson

Synonymous with exquisite afternoon tea, who better to create our Christmas dessert spread than the creative pastry team at Hayfield Manor. Working under executive head chef Mark Staple, executive pastry chef Marco Marongiu and his team share their glorious festive treats...

Hayfield Manor's Christmas cake

This cake needs to be started a day ahead of baking. You can also make the icing ahead of time as it can be kept tightly wrapped in the fridge for 3 days. Once iced the cake does not need to be refrigerated.

Servings

6

Cooking Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 60g raisins

• 60g golden sultanas

• 60g currants

• 45g orange candied peel, chopped

• 15g glacé cherries, diced

• 15g glacé dried apricots, diced

• 2 tbsp brandy

• 1 tbsp sherry liqueur

• 125g butter

• 125g brown sugar

• ½ lemon zest

• 1 tbsp marmalade

• 2 eggs

• 155g flour

• 1 tsp mixed spice

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

• 60g flaked almonds

• 1 tbsp brandy

• For the brandy syrup

• 100ml water

• 100g sugar

• 20ml brandy

• For the fondant

• 250g fondant icing sugar (set aside 1 tbsp for rolling)

• 4–5 tsp water

• 1 dtsp cornflour

Method

1. Begin by making the fondant, sifting the icing sugar (all but 1 heaped tablespoon) into a large bowl and making a well in the centre.

2. Add the water, a teaspoonful at a time, and stir with a wooden spoon until it is too stiff to stir any more.

3. Using your hands, form the icing into a ball before turning out onto a clean, smooth, dry surface dusted with the reserved icing sugar. Knead for about 3 minutes until completely smooth (if the icing is sticky, knead in a little more icing sugar, or if it is dry run a little cold water over your fingers). It can be kept tightly wrapped in the fridge for 3 days.

4. The day before baking, mix the raisins, sultanas, currants, orange peel, cherries, apricots, 2 tbsp of brandy and sherry and leave overnight to steep.

5. Next day, in a mixing bowl, fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter with brown sugar until light in colour.

6. Add the lemon zest and marmalade. Add the eggs, one by one.

7. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and salt and add to the butter mixture. When the mix is well incorporated, add the flaked almonds and tablespoon of brandy.

8. Lastly, add the fruit mix from the day before and pour into an 8 inch round form. Bake for 1 hour at 150°C, cover with tin foil and bake for an extra 30 minutes.

9. Make a brandy syrup by boiling the water, sugar and 20ml of brandy. Pour the hot syrup over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Leave to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the tin.

10. Roll out the icing onto a clean surface dusted with a mix of icing sugar and the cornflour, and keep giving it quarter turns after each roll.

11. Once it is rolled to the right size, drape over the cake as soon as possible. Trim to fit and decorate.