Christmas Cake aka Fruit Cake

This is a classic in many Irish homes around the 8th of December homes will be filled with the smells of Christmas cake, the fruits, the spices, the alcohol. The cake is then offered to every visitor that walks in your door over Christmas, it is a shout out to Old Irish Traditions! In my family it isn't so much about the eating of the cake but stirring the batter and making a wish, it is a tradition we have been doing for as long as I can remember - that to me makes the Christmas cake.

454g Butter
454g Soft Brown Sugar
113g Currants
623g Sultanas
623g Raisins

170g Cherries
56g Dried Apricots
56g Ground Almonds
510g Plain Flour
8 Eggs
56g Dates
1 Tsp Mixed Spice
1 Tsp Cinnamon
113g Mixed Peel

Method:

1. Cream the butter and the sugar, 
2. Beat 6 eggs in a bowl and add to the batter, alternating with half of the flour and make a batter
3. With the other half of the flour, cut all of the fruits in half; dates, apricots, cherries and mix through the flour
4. Add the fruit to the batter and the rest of the ingredients 
5. Adjust the consistency with whiskey
6. Leave to sit overnight 
7. Cook for 3.5 hours at gas mark 2/150 degrees 
8. Decorate with almond paste or marzipan, then with either royal icing or fondant

Genoese Sponge

This is a great recipe for birthday cakes, different than the traditional sponge cake recipe. This makes 1 large cake.

Genoese Sponge

8 Eggs

226g Caster Sugar

255g Plain Flour

113g Melted Butter

Vanilla Flavoring If Required

Method:

1. Weigh all ingredients carefully; prepare tins or sponge rings, by brushing bases and sides with melted butter and dusting lightly with flour.
2. Sieve the flour into a dry clean bowl or sheet of grease-proof paper.
3. Melt the butter and allow to cool.
4. Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl, sit in a warm ban marie, beat the eggs and sugar until warm, whisk thoroughly until the mixture has increased in volume by at least three times carefully fold in the flour using a metal spoon, quickly follow this with the melted butter, make sure that all the flour has been incorporated and that no lumps have caught in the bottom of the bowl.
5. Transfer the sponge mixture to the prepared moulds, filling to three quarters from the top.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 177 for 30 – 35 minutes, when cooked remove from oven, allow to cool, store and use as required NB Chocolate sponge : proceed as for recipe above except replacing 113g of flour with 113g cocoa powder or drinking chocolate

You can then make it look well fancy by piping on a design onto the top of the cake but practice first on a plate because if you make a mistake you can't take it back, its just about confidence I kind of messed up on my design some of the lines are thick and others are thin, but it doesn't matter it adds character :)

Lime Cupcakes with Lemon Butter-cream, with a Philly, Lemon, Vanilla centre

This recipe I made up by going what was in the fridge and in the cupboard. I love citrus flavour and lemon and lime has to be a personal favourite. I was thinking of putting both flavours in the cupcake but I didn't want it to be too overpowering. This recipe makes 12

Vanilla Cupcake:

113g Unsalted Butter (Softened)

130g Castor Sugar

3 Large Eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla

Zest of 1 Lime

195g Plain Flour

1.5 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Salt

60ml Milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees/ gas mark 4 
2. Line a 12 muffin/cupcake tray
3. In the bowl cream the butter and sugar until pale and smooth. 
4. Add the eggs, slowly as to avoid splitting the mix.. 
5. Beat in the vanilla extract and the zest of 1 lime
6. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
7. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk.
8. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
9. Evenly fill the muffin cups with the mix and bake for about 17 -20 minutes or just until set.
10. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. 
11. They need to be cool before adding the Philadelphia centre and the butter-cream top.

Butter-cream:



230g Icing Sugar
113g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
1 Tsp Vanilla
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 Tbsp Milk/Light Cream
Food Colours (If Desired)

Method:

Place the butter in a bowl and cream until pale and smooth, add the sugar and continue beating add the vanilla and the zest.

Philadelphia Filling:

1 Tub of extra light Philadelphia
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Tbsp Vanilla
25g Icing Sugar

Method: 

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well, and set aside until the vanilla cupcakes are completely cooled. Then using a small nozzle, go through the centre of the cupcakes and fill with the Philadelphia filling,
Then using a star nozzle pipe the butter-cream and finish with some hundreds and thousands.