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From: Michelle <>
Subject: Re: WARBRIDES-D Digest V05 #252 Christmas Cake
Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2006 20:26:10 -0600
References: <200512291600.jBTG0XvQ031555@lists8.rootsweb.com>


Hi All,

I'm late to this thread for this year's Christmas - but perhaps this will do
for next year!

This is the recipe my Aunt Edith Fitch (1914 - 2000) sent to me from England
the Christmas before she passed away:

5 oz Almonds 1/4 lb Sugar, White
1/2 lb Raisins 1/4 lb Treacle
1/2 lb Sultanas 5 Eggs
1/2 lb Currants 1/4 oz Mixed Spice (clove,
cinnamon, nutmeg
4 oz Mixed Peel mace, allspice)
3/4 lb Flour, plain 1/2 wineglass Brandy or Sherry
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 lb Butter
1/2 lb Sugar, Dark Brown

Line loaf tins with parchment paper. Blanch almonds and shop finely. Clean
and stalk fruit. Sieve the flour,
baking powder, and large pinch of salt. Cream fat & sugar in mixing bowl
until very creamy and soft. Add
eggs slowly, 1 at a time. Stir in flour, fruit, almonds, spice, and peel.
Add liquid.
Mix well. Turn into prepared tin and bake in pre-heated oven. Oven Temp:
160 deg. C for approximately
2 1/2 - 3 hours. Her comments: "This mixture makes one 9" square cake or if
you prefer smaller cakes two 6" cakes.
As we don't care for icing I usually make 2 x 6: and add almonds for
decoration. Either size will keep well for
3 months in air tight tin. I sometimes add some glace cherries or dried
apricots for extra richness - about 4 oz chopped."

I substitute Fancy Molasses in Canada as that's my best guess as to the
equivalent of Treacle!

The recipes in the Household Encyclopaedia (circa 1920) that my Grandmother
sent with my Mum when
she came to Canada: (note also has recipe for Plum Cake, Simnel Cake,
SultanaCake which also have similar ingredients. The Simnel calls for
more almond paste for the middle and top. The Wedding Cake recipe is a fruit
cake recipe for 3 tier and used 15 lbs of almond icing!)

Christmas Cake:
1 lb flour 1/4 lb glace
cherries
12 oz lard 1/4 lb candied peel
12 oz sugar grated rind of 1
lemon
1/4 lb ground or chopped almonds 1/2 nutmeg grated
1/2 lb sultanas pinch of salt
1/2 lb raisins (stoned) 1 tsp baking powder
1/4 lb currants 4 eggs
milk 1 wineglassful
brandy

Mix flour, salt, baking powder. Rub in the lard. Add all the dry
ingredients after cleaning and picking the stalks from the currants
and sultanas, cutting the cherries in halves and shredding the candied peel.
Mix well. Thoroughly whisk the eggs and gradually add the
brandy to them: then stir into the eggs and brandy about 1 gill of milk.
Moisten the cake mixture with this. Put mixture into a well-
greased and lined cake tin. Place in a hot oven for the first 20 minutes.
Then lessen the heat slightly and allow the cake to cook for
about 3 to 3 1/2 hours longer, lessening the heat still further about an
hour before the cake is cooked. If the top of the cake is found to
be sufficiently brown before the cake is cooked, cover the top with a piece
of greaseproof paper.
Note: This cake improves by keeping, and should be made at the beginning of
December. A day or so before it is required cover the
cake with a layer or almond paste about 1 inch thick and then coat with
Royal Icing.

Almond Paste:

1 lb ground almonds 1 tablespoonful of flavouring,
such as orange flower water or rose water
1 lb castor sugar 1 eggs
few drops of almond essence

Mix almonds and sugar, then add flavouring and essence, and lastly the eggs
thoroughly whisked. Knead well, place on cake and roll
level with rolling ping. Almond paste may be made into small fancy shapes,
flavoured and coloured as liked.

Royal Icing

1/2 lb icing sugar 2 whites of eggs juice of 1 lemon

Sift the sugar through a hair sieve, slightly whisk the whites of eggs and
mix into the sugar, using a spatula or wooden spoon and
adding lemon juice as it is required. Mix smoothly and beat the icing till
quite white. If too stiff add more lemon juice. Keep it
covered with a wet cloth. Note: When a large quantity of royal icing is
required, it is advisable to use M'Ghie's icing powder.
The directions for use are given on the packets.

There is also a recipe for Almond Icing.

Hope this will be of use to someone and maybe bring back memories. I know
I've never heard of M'Ghie's icing powder until now!!

Michelle Rusk
daughter of Olive Cochrane of West Hampstead



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Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 10:00 AM
Subject: WARBRIDES-D Digest V05 #252



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