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Britain / Food / Cooking / Christmas Cake
How to make a Christmas cake (British style)
     
Sections:
Introduction
  Equipment
  Ingredients
  Instructions
  Links
   
Related pages:
Recipes
  Shortbread
  Flapjack
Scone

Buy a Christmas cake in the US: Tea Time Express Christmas cake



INTRODUCTION



Would you like to make a Christmas cake like the one shown above?

See the separate page of instructions for details of how to make the fruit cake: Britain/Food/Cooking/FruitCake
The fruit cake should be make several weeks earlier.

This page explains how to finish the cake by adding the marzipan and icing. This should be done a few days before eating the cake.

Delia Smith's Christmas
Author: Delia Smith
Publisher: BBC Consumer Publishing (Books)
Date: September 1994

"Good Food": Christmas Made Easy
Editor: Mary Cadogan
Publisher: BBC Consumer Publishing (Books)
Date: September 2004

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EQUIPMENT


Pan ; cake brush ; large glass bowl ; medium-sized glass bowl ; seive ; teacup ; tablespoon ; egg whisk ; carving knife ; rolling pin ; 30cm ruler ; flat knife

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INGREDIENTS


Ingredient
Imperial measure
Metric measure
Ground almonds
24 ounces (24oz = 1.5 lb)
 
Caster sugar
12 ounces (12oz = 0.75 lb)
 
Icing sugar
12 ounces (12oz = 0.75 lb)
 
Almond essence
0.75 teaspoons
 
Marmalade
Enough to cover the top and sides of the cake
Eggs
6 (6 yolks, plus the white of 1.5 eggs)


Ground almonds (24 oz)

Caster sugar (12 oz)

Icing sugar (12 oz)


Almond essence

Marmalade

6 eggs

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INSTRUCTIONS



Heat some marmalade

Spread on the top/sides of the cake

Sieve caster sugar onto the almonds


Take 6 yolks
and 1.5 egg whites ...

... add 0.75 teaspoons
of almond essence ...

... and whisk
the eggs


Add the eggs to the almonds

Use your hands to knead the mixture

Make into a firm rectangular block


Use knife to cut in half
Cut one half into 4 slices

Roll out one half to create the top:
use a ruler to make it the right size

Place marzipan on top of the cake
(it should hang over the sides a bit)


Roll out the slices
to make side pieces

Add each side piece to the cake
and join to the top piece

When all 4 sides have been added,
gently use a rolling pin to make it smooth


Leave the cake for 2 hours, then add
a little hot water to the icing sugar ...

... and warm the blade of a flat knife
in a jug of hot water

Use the hot knife
to spread the icing sugar evenly


As the icing sugar dries,
you may want to add some decorations.
When ready to eat the cake,
remove decorations and cut slices
with a carving knife
(wrap the cake in foil to keep it fresh).

Happy Christmas!

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LINKS


Baking a fruit cake: Britain/Food/Cooking/FruitCake
Cooking section: Britain/Food/Cooking
Christmas traditions in Britain: Ideas/Album/Christmas
Events in December: Ideas/Events/December

Home page: Home

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