Sherry Christmas Cakes

This year I have made so many Christmas cakes and feeling quite proud of myself as this is the first year that I have baked and decorated Christmas cakes!

I love making homemade gifts and especially love making my homemade hampers so this year I decided to add a Christmas cake in each of them.

I have in made in total 1 large whisky cake, 1 small whisky cake, 2 small sherry cakes and 12 mini sherry cakes!

I have used Mary Berry's Classic Victorian Christmas Cake recipe as a base but have changed some quantities, added ingredients and take a couple off.

You can find Mary Berry's recipe here http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/classic_christmas_cake_04076

I made the cakes back in November and have feeding them all in the last month and a half. When I opened them up to decorate I have found that I have got beautifully moist cakes.

Here is how I made the Sherry cakes...

Sherry Christmas Cake

Ingredients

175g raisins
300g glace cherries
510g currants
375g sultanas
200ml sherry
Zest of 1 orange
250g butter, softened
250g light muscovado sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
1 tbsp black treacle
85g flaked almonds
75g self raising flour
175g plain flour
2 tspn mixed spice

Method

1 - Place all of the dried fruit in a container and pour over the sherry. Cover and leave for 1 week remembering to stir daily!

Pre heat the oven to 120C

2 - Place the butter, eggs, sugar, treacle into a bowl and mix well

3 - Add in the flaked almonds and continue to mix

4 - Sift in the flours, add the mixed spice and continue to mix until all of the ingredients are evenly combined

5 - Stir in the soaked fruit and any juices

6 - Put the cake mixture into a deep cake tin which has been double lined with greaseproof paper and place in the pre heated oven. If you are making miniature cakes simply place some of the cake mixture into cupcake cases!

7 - Bake the cake for about 4 1/2 hours. Check after 2 hours, if the top is browned cover if foil and continue to bake until baked throughout

8 - When your cake is done remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin

9 - Once cool remove from the tin and double wrap in greaseproof paper and foil, the greaseproof paper will ensure that the cake keeps it moisture

Up until you are ready to ice your cake feed at regular intervals with extra sherry. The cake will keep wrapped and in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Do not be tempted to eat the cake too soon as it will be crumbly if it is not mature!
The cakes can then be decorated as you please. I have put a marzipan and icing topper on my miniature Christmas cakes and covered the small cakes in traditional marzipan and icing.
However you decorate them they will be delicious!
Enjoy x

 

The Christmas Great Bloggers Bake Off is hosted by the lovely Jenny at Mummy Mishaps and the lovely Helen at The Crazy Kitchen

http://www.mummymishaps.co.uk/2013/12/christmas-great-bloggers-bake-off-berry-white-chocolate-panettone.html

http://www.thecrazykitchen.co.uk/p/the-great-bloggers-bake-off.html