Johannesburg - here is still time to bake your Christmas cake and have it matured by Christmas Day.
A boiled fruit cake cooks much faster, and our recipe has a delicious coffee twist to it.
Light fruit cakes don’t last as long as dark fruit cakes and are therefore ideally suited for baking closer to Christmas.
If you are baking for someone with a gluten intolerance, you can most often use your regular recipe and replace the cake flour with one of the many gluten-free cake flour mixes available.
If traditional fare is not for you, try the decadent eggnog cheesecake.
BOILED FRUIT CAKE
500g cake fruit mix
125g butter
250ml sugar
5ml mixed spice
3ml cinnamon
5ml bicarbonate of soda
375ml cold water
125ml cherries, halved
500ml flour
5ml baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
125ml strong brewed coffee
60ml brandy
Combine fruit mix, butter, sugar, spices, bicarbonate of soda and water in a pot.
Boil gently for 25 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from stove and pour into a glass bowl.
Add the cherries. Allow to cool completely.
Once cooled, add the flour, baking powder and eggs and mix until combined.
Pour into a lined, 18cm cake tin and secure double newspaper or brown paper around the outside with string so that the cake is well protected from too much direct heat.
Bake at 160°C for 60-90 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove.
Meanwhile, combine the hot coffee and brandy. Pour over the hot cake and allow it to cool in the tin.
Remove and wrap the cake in foil and store in an airtight container.
STICKY TOFFEE FESTIVE PUDDING
250ml (about 150g) dates, chopped
225ml boiling water
5ml bicarbonate of soda
65g butter
150ml brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
330ml self-raising flour
5ml mixed spice
15ml molasses
SAUCE
180ml brown sugar
125ml cream
125g butter
60ml brandy
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 1 litre pudding basin.
Place the dates in a mixing bowl and add the boiling water.
Stir in bicarbonate of soda and leave for 10 minutes.
Place the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, spice and molasses in a mixing bowl and beat together until smooth.
Stir in the dates with the soaking liquid.
Pour the mixture into the basin and bake for 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Serve warm with the sticky toffee sauce.
SAUCE: Place all the ingredients into a pot and heat until the butter has completely melted, stirring constantly.
Turn up the heatand boil for 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
GLUTEN-FREE CHRISTMAS PUDDING
160g mixed dried cake fruit
125ml brandy
250g dates, chopped
250ml hot water
5ml bicarbonate of soda
200g butter
250ml brown sugar
3 eggs
500ml gluten-freeself-raising flour mix
5ml mixed spice
5ml ground ginger
5ml ground cinnamon
SAUCE
250ml cream
80g butter
125ml brown sugar
45ml golden syrup
60ml brandy
Combine the fruit and the brandy and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Put the dates in a bowl and pour over the water.
Add the bicarbonate of soda and stir well. Set aside to cool.
Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Combine the flour mix and spices and add to the creamed mixture with the fruit and date mixtures. Mix until well combined.
Spoon the mixture into a well-greased 2 litre pudding basin.
Bake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the pudding comes out clean.
Remove and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning ontoa serving plate.
Serve with the sauce.
SAUCE: Combine the ingredients in a small pot and bring to the boil. Boil for a minute.
EGGNOG CHEESECAKE
CRUST
200g digestive biscuits
125ml desiccated coconut
5ml ground cinnamon
25ml castor sugar
80-100g butter, melted
FILLING
3x 250g thick cream cheese
80ml cream
60ml brandy
180ml castor sugar
3 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
5ml vanilla extract
grated nutmeg for top
CRUST: Combine biscuits, coconut, cinnamon and sugar and mix well.
Add enough butter to bind the mixture.
Press into the base of a 22cm springform cake tin. Put it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Wrap the outside of the cake tin in a double layer of foil and place it inside a roasting pan.
FILLING: Beat the cream cheese, cream, brandy and castor sugar until smooth and creamy.
Beat in the eggs and yolk and vanilla. Pour into the prepared tin. Grate nutmeg on top.
Pour hot water into the roasting tray to come halfway up the side of the cake tin.
Bake at 160°C for40-50 minutes until set with a slight wobble.
Switch off the oven and allow the cake to cool inside. Refrigerate until required.
GLUTEN-FREE LIGHT FRUIT CAKE
150g butter
180ml castor sugar
2 eggs
5ml orange blossom extract
grated rind of 1 orange
grated rind of 1 lemon
375ml self-raising gluten-free flour mix
100g glacé cherries, halved
100g mixed peel
200g mixed dried cake fruit
30ml brandy
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Mix in the orange blossom extract, orange and lemon rind.
Add the flour and mix to combine. Finally stir in the cherries and the fruit.
Spoon the mixture into an 11x20cm loaf pan that has been base-lined and well sprayed.
Bake at 160°C for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
If the cake starts getting too dark, cover with a piece of foil.
Remove and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning onto a cooling rack.
Note: The recipe was made using Nature’s Choice gluten-free self-raising flour.
If you don’t have a gluten intolerance, this recipe also works using cake wheat self-raising flour.
The Star