I find it fascinating to read about the history behind foods and especially my favourites like Christmas Cake.
Christmas cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. People ate the porridge on Christmas Eve, using it to line their stomachs after a day of fasting. Soon dried fruit, spices and honey were added to the porridge mixture, and eventually it turned into Christmas pudding. In the 16th century, oatmeal was removed from the original recipe, and butter, wheat flour and eggs were added. These ingredients helped hold the mixture together, resulting in a boiled plum cake. Richer families with ovens began making fruit cakes with marzipan, an almond sugar paste, for Easter. For Christmas, they made a similar cake using seasonal dried fruit and spices. The spices represented the exotic eastern spices brought by the Wise Men. This cake became known as ‘Christmas cake’.
Christmas cakes are made in many different ways, but generally they are variations on classic fruitcake. They can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy, leavened, unleavened, and more. They are made in many different shapes, with frosting, glazing, a dusting of confectioner’s sugar or plain.
Some time ago, while browsing the inter net, I came across a luscious cake called French Christmas Cake, so added it to my bucket list of Cakes to Bake in 2018. It looked so golden and inviting with red and green fruits inserted like gems inside that I was instantly attracted to it, I managed to bake many for our friends and kept one for us. I did not add achohol as I was baking for friends, However those who wish to do so can add the alcohol of their choice while soaking the fruits or drizzle a capful or two on the cake after baking is done.
The Recipe:
3 cups wheat flour; 4 large eggs; 250 gms salted butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup red tuiti fruiti ( candied papaya and very popular in India); 1/2 cup green tuiti fruiti; 1/4 cup golden raisins; 1/4 cup black raisins; 1/2 cup dried cranberries; 1/8 cup candied green cherries, diced; 1/8 cup candied red cherries, diced; 1/2 cup almond nibs; 2 tsp mixed spice; 1/8 cup golden honey; 2 tsp baking powder; 2 tsp vanilla essence.
Mix all ingredients together and stir gently till smooth and glossy. Pour into 1/2 kg lined and greased foil trays. ( I got 5 cakes from this amount). Bake in a pre heated oven at 165 Celcius for 75 minutes or until skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean. Cool in oven itself ( for 24 hours). Slice and serve with red, red wine or a cup of steaming, hot coffee or tea. Or cover and decorate them and give them away as Christmas gifts to family and friends.
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