How to make Christmas Special Cake at home

Anything home made is attract the guests and friends because it is more amazing if it bought from outside shop. So the good idea to make various food and make cake specially for great religious festival. Here is a procedure how to make Special Cake at home. CAKE Ingredients 225g/8oz plain flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp mixed spice 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 200g/7oz butter 200g/7oz dark brown sugar 2 tbsp black treacle 1 tbsp marmalade 1/4tsp vanilla essence 4 eggs, lightly beaten 800g/1 3/4 lb mixed dried fruits 100g/3 1/2 oz chopped mixed peel 150g/5oz glace cherries, halved 100g/3 1/2 oz blanched almonds, chopped brandy To Decorate the Cake: 200g/7oz marzipan 1-2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed Royal Icing 3 egg whites 600g/1lb 5oz icing sugar, sieved 11/2tsp liquid glycerine - optional 1 tbsp lemon juice Method 1. Heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2. Grease a 20cm/8inch round or an 18cm/7inch square cake tin and line the bottom and sides with baking parchment. 2. Sieve the flour, salt, mixed spice and cinnamon into a bowl. 3. Cream the butter and the sugar in a large mixing bowl and then mix in the sugar, treacle, marmalade and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. 4. Mix the eggs a little at a time into the mixture adding a tablespoon of flour mixture with the last amount. 5. Fold in the remaining flour mixture until well mixed and then mix in the dried fruit, mixed peel, glace cherries and the almonds. 6. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and make a slight hollow in the centre. 7. Bake in the oven for 3 hours and then test with a skewer. If not ready bake for up to another hour testing every 20 minutes until the skewer comes out clean. 8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. 9. Turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool. 10. Once cool, make a few holes in the cake with a skewer and pour over 3-4 tbspof brandy. Let the brandy soak into the cake. 11. Store the cake wrapped in foil and in an airtight tin or plastic container, holes side up. OPTION: For a rich and moist cake, spoon over a few tablespoons of brandy every week until you are ready to ice and decorate your cake. To Decorate the Cake: 1. Place the cake on a foil board or cake plate. 2. Dust your hands and the work surface with a little icing sugar and knead the marzipan until soft. 3. Roll out half the marzipan to fit the top of the cake and roll out the rest in strips to fit around the sides of the cake. 4. Brush the cake all over with the warmed apricot jam and then place the marzipan on top and around the cake. 5. Cover the cake with a clean tea towel and then leave in a cool place for at least one day. 6. To make the icing, lightly whisk the egg whites adding the sugar at intervals. Beat well until the icing reaches soft peaks. Add the glycerine if using and the lemon juice. 7. Spread icing all over cake either flat iced using a clean ruler or by forming soft peaks. Decorate with Christmas ornaments.

this recipe has been altered to reduce the fat content Black Forest Chocolate Cake * 1 (14 ounce) can fat free sweetened condensed milk * 3/4 cup oil substitute * 2/3 cup packed brown sugar * 2 eggs * 1 egg white * 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour * 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder * 2 teaspoons baking soda * 2 teaspoons baking powder * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/2 cup boiling water * 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips * 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat one 12-cup, fluted tube pan with cooking spray. 2. Combine flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder, and salt. 3. In a large bowl, combine condensed milk, oil substitute, brown sugar, eggs, and egg white; mix well. Stir flour mixture into milk mixture just until moistened. Gradually add water. Stir in chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. 4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and top with cherry filling.

Upside Down Pear Gingerbread Topping: 3 T trans fat-free margarine 1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 2 firm ripe Bosc pears Cake: 1 1/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 egg 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/3 cup molasses 1/2 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar 4 T trans fat-free margarine, melted 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the sides of 9" round cake pan; set aside. 2. For the Topping, melt margarine in small saucepan. Add brown sugar; mix well. Spread evenly in prepared pan. 3. Peel pears and cut each lengthwise into quarters; discard cores. Slice each pear quarter into 3 lengthwise slices. Arrange slices evenly around the cake pan to resemble a pinwheel. 4. For the Cake, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in large bowl; set aside. Beat egg, brown sugar, molasses, sour milk and melted margarine in separate bowl. Add to the flour mixture; stir until smooth. Stir in walnuts. Spoon batter over pears carefully without disturbing the pattern. 5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Place large plate over pan and invert onto plate. Remove pan. Serve warm or at room temperature

I don't make cakes very often. I don't really like cake. I am more of a cookie and pie kind of person, so I tend to bake those more often. I will be making a pie and some cookies for Christmas, but no cake.

It is an interesting topic.in my view, i will ask my gf to come to my home and we help each otherto make xmas cakes.I thonk that must be very romantic.and after making cakes, we can have a dinner in the light of candles to wait the coming day.If there can be music that songs"oh my love my darling" surrounding us,that will be more perfect.Isn't it?