Christmas Cake Slice

I like Christmas cake but my Husband and boys don’t! So I wanted a recipe so I could enjoy a little piece but without making a whole cake and baking it for hours. I used to buy Mr Kipling Christmas cake slices so I could have a little bit of cake at Christmas but this year I decided to make my own.

I have used a mixture of dried fruits, glacé cherries and crystallised pineapple but you can use whatever are your favourites.

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Put the dried fruit, glacé cherries and crystallised pineapple in a large bowl and add the brandy. Mix well and leave overnight.

The following day pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees centigrade (140 degrees fan).

Line a 33cm x 22cm (13” x 9”) oblong baking tin with parchment. This is the one I use available on Amazon

In the bowl of a stand mixer for with a hand mixer cream the butter and sugar together until incorporated.

Add the eggs gradually followed by the flour until you have a nice smooth batter.

Finally add the soaked fruit and mix until it is all combined.

Put the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top with a small spatula.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin.

When the cake to totally cool take it out of the tin and remove the baking parchment.

Roll out the marzipan to slightly bigger than the size of your tin.

Brush the top with the warmed apricot jam and place the marzipan in the top.

Roll out the icing to slightly bigger than the tin.

Brush the marzipan with more apricot jam and place the icing on top of the marzipan.

Trim the excess of the marzipan and icing round the edges to neaten then cut into slices.

Decorate with sprinkles or with the off-cuts of fondant icing.

Christmas Cake Slice

Sarah's servings: 20

Sarah's skill: Medium

Baking time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

550g mixed dried fruit

150g glacé cherries, quartered

150g crystallised pineapple

4 tbsp brandy

200g unsalted butter, softened

200g soft dark brown sugar

4 large eggs

200g plain flour

DECORATION

6 tbsp apricot jam, warmed

500g marzipan

500g white fondant icing

Sprinkles for decoration if required

METHOD

1. Put the dried fruit, glacé cherries and crystallised pineapple in a large bowl and add the brandy. Mix well and leave overnight.

2. The following day pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees centigrade (140 degrees fan).

3. Line a 33cm x 22cm (13” x 9”) oblong baking tin with baking parchment.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer cream the butter and sugar together until incorporated.

5. Add the eggs gradually followed by the flour until you have a nice smooth batter.

6. Finally add the soaked fruit and mix until it is all combined.

7. Put the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top with a small spatula.

8. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean.

9. Leave to cool in the tin.

10. When the cake to totally cool take it out of the tin and remove the baking parchment.

11. Roll out the marzipan to slightly bigger than the size of your tin.

12. Brush the top with half of the warmed apricot jam and place the marzipan on the top.

13. Roll out the icing to slightly bigger than the tin.

14. Brush the marzipan with the remaining apricot jam and place the icing on top of the marzipan.

15. Trim the excess of the marzipan and icing round the edges to neaten then cut into slices.

    
    

Equipment Used

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SARAH’S EXTRA SLICE

You can make the cake ahead of time and freeze without the marzipan and icing. Then ice when you need it.

If you don’t have crystallised pineapple just make up the weight with other dried fruit eg dried cranberries or extra mixed fruit.