Mummy's Light Christmas Cake

Recipe by: Darina Allen

This light fruit cake is a huge favourite with many who don’t enjoy a rich Christmas cake. Mummy used royal icing and made a snow scene with Santa and his sleigh. Thanks for the memories…

Mummy's Light Christmas Cake

PREP TIME

315

MINUTES

COOKING TIME

60

MINUTES

Ingredients

  • 50g whole almonds

  • 200g sultanas

  • 200g raisins

  • 100g homemade chopped candied peel

  • 50g currants

  • 50g real glacé cherries, cut in quarters

  • 50g ground almonds

  • 225g butter, softened

  • 225g caster sugar

  • 4 large or 5 small eggs, preferably free-range and organic

  • grated rind of 1 orange

  • 275g flour

  • a pinch of salt

  • ⅛ tsp bicarbonate of soda

  • 1 tsp milk

  • For the Almond Paste

  • 175g caster sugar

  • 175g ground almonds

  • 1 small egg, preferably free-range and organic

  • 2 tsp whiskey

  • 1 drop of almond extract

  • 1 egg white, beaten, or apricot jam

  • icing sugar, for dusting the worktop

  • For the Fondant Icing

  • vodka, for brushing over the almond paste

  • 600g ready-to-roll fondant icing

  • Decorations

  • Santas, candied angelica or holly leaves (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas Mark 2.

  2. Line a 20.5cm x 30.5cm cake tin that is 5cm deep lined with parchment paper. Mum cooked this cake in an oval enamel tin with a lid.

  3. Blanch the whole almonds in boiling water for 1 or 2 minutes, rub off the skins and chop. Mix together all the fruit, candied peel and the ground and chopped almonds. Cream the butter until it’s really soft, then add in the caster sugar and beat until light and creamy. Whisk the eggs and add them in bit by bit, beating well between each addition. Add the grated orange rind. Sieve the flour and salt together, then stir in the flour and all of the fruit. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the milk and stir it thoroughly through the mixture. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 50 - 60 minutes. Allow to get cold, turn out of the tin and wrap in greaseproof paper until ready to ice.

  4. To make the almond paste.

  5. Sieve the castor sugar and mix it with the ground almonds. Beat the egg and add the whiskey and almond extract. Add to the dry ingredients and mix to a stiff paste (you may not need all the egg.)

  6. To ice the cake

  7. Brush the top of the cake with beaten egg white or apricot jam.

  8. Sprinkle the worktop with icing sugar. Roll the almond paste into a rectangle slightly larger than the cake. Roll the almond paste over the rolling pin, then unroll it over the cake. Press carefully onto the cake. Allow to dry for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

  9. When ready to apply the fondant icing, brush the almond paste with vodka or other non-coloured spirit.

  10. Next, apply the fondant icing. Roll it out slightly larger than the cake. Roll it over the rolling pin and then unroll it over the cake. Press lightly.

  11. Decorate if you wish with Santas, candied angelica or holly, but it looks great just as it is.

  12. Cut the cake into 35 pieces (5 across x 7 on the length) or to whatever size you prefer.

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