Mini Christmas Cakes
- Sarah L Samuels
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
I thought I would make some mini Christmas cakes this year as they would make great presents for friends or family. I have added dried cranberries into my cakes but you could just use a traditional dried fruit mix.
You can add any decorations you like and be creative! I have lots of nice festive cutters that I have used in the past to decorate my Christmas cakes for my cafe. I also think the addition of the baking parchment and festive string really finishes them off but you could leave them plain if you prefer.
These cakes make lovely little gifts for friends or family or as an alternative to a large cake for the festive period. Perfect with a cold glass of fizz or a hot cup of tea!
Weigh the fruit and cherries into a large bowl, add the brandy, mix, then cover with cling film. Leave overnight to soak.
When ready to bake the cake Preheat the oven to 140°C (120°C fan) then grease and line the 12 individual sections of a mini sandwich cake tin.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs gradually alternating with the flour to the mixture doesn’t curdle.
Finally add the soaked fruit and mix until it is all combined.
Divide the mixture between the 12 sections and level.
Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Put the cakes on a plate or cake stand and brush the cakes with warmed apricot jam.
Roll out the marzipan to ½cm thickness and cut out 12 circles with a 6cm cutter.
Place the marzipan circles on top of the jam on the cakes.
Brush the marzipan with more apricot jam.
Roll out the fondant icing to ½cm thickness and cut out 12 circles with a 6cm cutter.
Place on top of the marzipan and decorate with the offcuts of icing.
Put some baking parchment round the cakes and tie some festive string around the cakes to finish.
Mini Christmas Cakes
Sarah's servings: 12
Sarah's skill: Easy
Baking time: 1 hour 20 mins
INGREDIENTS
450g mixed dried fruit
50g glacé cherries (quartered)
75ml brandy
150g unsalted butter, softened
150g soft light brown sugar
3 large eggs
150g plain flour
500g marzipan
500g white fondant icing
2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
METHOD
Weigh the fruit and cherries into a large bowl, add the brandy, mix, then cover with cling film. Leave overnight to soak.
When ready to bake the cake Preheat the oven to 140°C (120°C fan) then grease and line the 12 individual sections of a mini sandwich cake tin.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs gradually alternating with the flour to the mixture doesn’t curdle.
Finally add the soaked fruit and mix until it is all combined.
Divide the mixture between the 12 sections and level.
Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Put the cakes on a plate or cake stand and brush the cakes with warmed apricot jam.
Roll out the marzipan to ½cm thickness and cut out 12 circles with a 6cm cutter.
Place the marzipan circles on top of the jam on the cakes.
Brush the marzipan with more apricot jam.
Roll out the fondant icing to ½cm thickness and cut out 12 circles with a 6cm cutter.
Place on top of the marzipan and decorate with the offcuts of icing.
Put some baking parchment round the cakes and tie some festive string around the cakes to finish.
EQUIPMENT USED
SARAH’S EXTRA SLICE
You can wrap in parchment and foil and feed with brandy weekly once baked and cooled, if you want to keep for nearer Christmas before decorating.
These cakes will keep for up to 1 month when decorated if stored in an airtight container in a cool place.
You can freeze these cakes un-iced for up to 3 months.
You can use orange juice and zest instead of the brandy if you want to make them alcohol free. It wil last for a few weeks or they can be frozen un-iced.
Comments