Christmas Cake

"Daisy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I read a newspaper article yesterday written by a non-USA person, who had experienced life in a
Brtitsh-style culture for a while. The article was all about fruit cakes.

Apparently fruit cakes (the genuine version please people LOL) are virtually unknown in the USA. I
didn't know that.

I think the writer of the article didn't do his homework. Fruitcakes of various kinds, including the
traditional British-style cake, are widely known, if often reviled, in the US.

-j

That sounds like my recipe, but remember light can also mean light batter, meaning it's colour.

"Daisy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I read a newspaper article yesterday written by a non-USA person, who had experienced life in a
Brtitsh-style culture for a while. The article was all about fruit cakes.

Apparently fruit cakes (the genuine version please people LOL) are virtually unknown in the USA. I
didn't know that.

A long-standing British tradition is the fruit cake: Dundee cake is a light fruit cake (light in
fruit content), and a Sultana cake is similar but the only fruit are sultanas. Rich Christmas or
Wedding cake is something else again.

The hearty wedding cake, or Christmas cake, is a rich fruit cake, made with lots oif eggs and
brandied fruit, not so much flour and no raising agents. It is moist with fruit and laden with
flavour. It is absolute heaven.

There are many uses for this fruit cake other than serving it in small wedges for afternoon tea
around Christmas time. You can heat it and serve it with brandy custard as a winter pudding; you
can chill it and serve a wedge with vanilla ice cream any time.

I make a big big Christmas fruit cake every year and save some for winter, but it is usually all
gone by May!

Daisy.

Don't assume malice for what stupidity can explain.

Daisy <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I read a newspaper article yesterday written by a non-USA person, who had experienced life in a
Brtitsh-style culture for a while. The article was all about fruit cakes.

Apparently fruit cakes (the genuine version please people LOL) are virtually unknown in the USA. I
didn't know that.

Actually, various type of fruitcakes are well known in the USA. Generally, however, they do not
enjoy a very good reputation here. They are joked about by many and, I suspect, often by people who
have never even tasted one. There are many poor excuses for fruitcake sold commercially and they
truly deserve the derision.

OTOH, many families have treasured fruitcake recipes that are baked and enjoyed every year. I
imagine that their origins are mostly British. My family has traditionally baked three types of
fruitcake, all of which I love. My very favorite cake is like the traditional Christmas cake, dark,
rich with fruits and nuts, moist with rum and brandy, and made with only enough batter to hold it
all together. We also bake a "white fruitcake" that only contains candied fruits and peels and nuts,
but no dried fruit. It is made with somewhat more batter and is not quite as moist. The third is
almost a dead-ringer for the Dundee Cake. I also love this one, but have never considered it a true
fruitcake, yet, I suppose it is.

A note of humor... There are stories of families gifting members with the same fruitcake (never
eaten) for years on end. I'd be willing to bet that the foundations to these stories is based on
truth. <G>

FWIW, on the Saturday following Christmas, I baked 20 pounds of "Christmas Cake" to be stored away
and mellowed for the Christmas of 2004.

Cheers, Wayne

"Wayne Boatwright" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message "]news:[email hidden]...
: Daisy <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:
: [snipped]

: family has traditionally baked three types of fruitcake, all of which
I
: love. My very favorite cake is like the traditional Christmas cake, dark, rich with fruits and
: nuts, moist with rum and brandy, and made
with
: only enough batter to hold it all together. We also bake a "white fruitcake" that only contains
: candied fruits and peels and nuts, but
no
: dried fruit. It is made with somewhat more batter and is not quite as moist. The third is almost a
: dead-ringer for the Dundee Cake. I also love this one, but have never considered it a true
: fruitcake, yet, I suppose it is. [snipped]
:
: FWIW, on the Saturday following Christmas, I baked 20 pounds of "Christmas Cake" to be stored away
: and mellowed for the Christmas of 2004.
:
: Cheers, Wayne

Query, given your extensive experience on the subject: Is there any flavor difference to be gained
by adding spirits to the exterior of the cake in question and "aging" it, versus macerating the
fruit in spirits (for 2-3 days?) prior to adding it to the batter?

-Mabry-

"Mabry" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:kPJJb.286095$J77.39872
@fed1read07:

Quoted message said:

Query, given your extensive experience on the subject: Is there any flavor difference to be gained
by adding spirits to the exterior of the cake in question and "aging" it, versus macerating the
fruit in spirits (for 2-3 days?) prior to adding it to the batter?

-Mabry-

FWIW, I do both. I macerate both the fruit and nuts in spirits (usually rum and brandy, and
sometimes a liqueur), along with all the spices in the recipe, for at least a week or so before
baking the cake. I want to be sure that the dried fruits are well plumped with spirits and the peels
and candied fruit have softened a bit. The time has run as long as a month when something prevented
me from following sooner with the baking, and the results were superb.

After baking I cool until lukewarm in the pans, then remove to racks and peel off the lining paper.
I then brush the exteriors on all sides with a mixture of spirits, followed by securely wrapping
each cake in muslin soaked in spirits. The cakes are then wrapped in polythene and, finally, in
aluminum foil. For the next week, each day the cakes are unwrapped, brushed with spirits, the muslin
re-moistened, then rewrapped. At this point they should need no further attention. I pack them in
boxes and store away. Because our weather is much warmer here than in Britain, I will often freeze
excess cakes for much longer storage, although without freezing they will keep a good year.

Around November I will unwrap one cake to test it for moisture content and flavor development. If
needed, I will again brush with spirits and rewrap until time for serving.

HTH Wayne

"Wayne Boatwright" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message "]news:[email hidden]...
: "Mabry" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:kPJJb.286095$J77.39872 @fed1read07:
:
: [snipped]
:
: Around November I will unwrap one cake to test it for moisture content and flavor development. If
: needed, I will again brush with spirits
and
: rewrap until time for serving.
:
: HTH Wayne
:
:
:

Thanks-much to ponder. I macerated only the fruit (w/ all flavorings) and toasted the nut pieces
for a separate/different flavor to be added at batter time. Even though I used good brandy (+ dark
rum), I felt that there was a bit too much bite-without-flavor and may just use the rum
exclusively. Perhaps I shall experiment with the 1/2 cake I have left and do the aging bit to
compare the results.

-Mabry- Prefix published addy with 'A-'

Wayne Boatwright said:

Daisy <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I read a newspaper article yesterday written by a non-USA person, who had experienced life in a
Brtitsh-style culture for a while. The article was all about fruit cakes.

Apparently fruit cakes (the genuine version please people LOL) are virtually unknown in the USA.
I didn't know that.

Actually, various type of fruitcakes are well known in the USA. Generally, however, they do not
enjoy a very good reputation here. They are joked about by many and, I suspect, often by people who
have never even tasted one. There are many poor excuses for fruitcake sold commercially and they
truly deserve the derision.

OTOH, many families have treasured fruitcake recipes that are baked and enjoyed every year. I
imagine that their origins are mostly British. My family has traditionally baked three types of
fruitcake, all of which I love. My very favorite cake is like the traditional Christmas cake, dark,
rich with fruits and nuts, moist with rum and brandy, and made with only enough batter to hold it
all together. We also bake a "white fruitcake" that only contains candied fruits and peels and
nuts, but no dried fruit. It is made with somewhat more batter and is not quite as moist. The third
is almost a dead-ringer for the Dundee Cake. I also love this one, but have never considered it a
true fruitcake, yet, I suppose it is.

A note of humor... There are stories of families gifting members with the same fruitcake (never
eaten) for years on end. I'd be willing to bet that the foundations to these stories is based on
truth. <G>

FWIW, on the Saturday following Christmas, I baked 20 pounds of "Christmas Cake" to be stored away
and mellowed for the Christmas of 2004.

Cheers, Wayne

Thanks Wayne. I guessed that there would be people in the US who loved rich fruit cakes as
much as I.

As an addition, have you tried skewering holes in the fruit cake while it is still fairly warm (or
hot) from the oven and pouring rum or brandy into the holes?

I did this with the small rich fruit cake (the smallest of three) from my wedding cake trio. I
wanted to use it for the first Christening. I topped it up every year with more brandy.

Well, it was 3 and a half years as it happened! The cake was glorious - if a bit alcoholic! But
enjoyed by all. Whilst the cake was stone cold every time I added the liquor, it was so
successful I have done it since with the cake being hot or very warm (the better for the cake to
absorb the alcohol).

I have made the cakes that are even quantities of fruit and nuts, but for my personal taste, the
richer fruit cake with the nuts thickly laden on top is our favourite.

Cheers and Happy New Year.

Daisy.

Don't assume malice for what stupidity can explain.

Mabry said:

Thanks-much to ponder. I macerated only the fruit (w/ all flavorings) and toasted the nut pieces
for a separate/different flavor to be added at batter time. Even though I used good brandy (+
dark rum), I felt that there was a bit too much bite-without-flavor and may just use the rum
exclusively. Perhaps I shall experiment with the 1/2 cake I have left and do the aging bit to
compare the results.

I've used brandy, bourbon and rum for this purpose. Rum is my preference.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments

Daisy <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Thanks Wayne. I guessed that there would be people in the US who loved rich fruit cakes as
much as I.

As an addition, have you tried skewering holes in the fruit cake while it is still fairly warm (or
hot) from the oven and pouring rum or brandy into the holes?

You might catch my other post on this issue but, briefly, I mascerate the fruit and nuts in rum and
brandy (along with the spices) for about a week before baking the cake. When baked and still a bit
warm, I brush all the surfaces with a mixture of rum and brandy. Rather than a true skewer, I use a
very thin "cake tester" to poke holes through the cake and I think sufficient spirits run through.
For the first week after baking, I repeat the brushing and drizzling every day, then wrap for
storage. As you said about your cake, it's wonderful!

Quoted message said:

I did this with the small rich fruit cake (the smallest of three) from my wedding cake trio. I
wanted to use it for the first Christening. I topped it up every year with more brandy.

Well, it was 3 and a half years as it happened! The cake was glorious - if a bit alcoholic! But
enjoyed by all. Whilst the cake was stone cold every time I added the liquor, it was so successful
I have done it since with the cake being hot or very warm (the better for the cake to absorb the
alcohol).

I can imagine how good it was! Some years ago I "inherited" a Christmas cake that my grandmother had
made and forgotten about. It was actually about ten years old, but it had been well prepared and
sealed up. It was really quite good.

I don't re-warm the cakes on subsequent liquor additions, but it seems to soak up adequately. I love
rum! Perhaps on the next "feeding" I will try warming one up to compare.

Quoted message said:

I have made the cakes that are even quantities of fruit and nuts, but for my personal taste, the
richer fruit cake with the nuts thickly laden on top is our favourite.

I haven't measured precisely, but I think my cakes are roughly made of equal frut and nuts. I
generally use a mix of walnuts, pecans, almonds, and hazelnuts. The fruits are a mixture of raisins,
sultanans, currants, figs, dates, apricots, and dried cherries, and candied (or glacéed) pineapple,
cherries, ginger, lemon and orange peels, and citron.

Before storing, I decorate the tops with patterns of pecans, pineapples, and cherries, glacing with
warmed corn syrup.

And, Happy New Year to you as well!

Wayne

"Daisy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I read a newspaper article yesterday written by a non-USA person, who had experienced life in a
Brtitsh-style culture for a while. The article was all about fruit cakes.

One thing I've noticed in this thread is that, while the thread is titled "Christmas Cake", the
conversation so far is about fruit cake, plum cake or similar. For me, a Christmas Cake is similar
to a fruit cake, but has layer(s) of marzipan and nice crunchy icing over that.

Charlie

"Mabry" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:kPJJb.286095$J77.39872
@fed1read07:

Quoted message said:

:
: FWIW, on the Saturday following Christmas, I baked 20 pounds of "Christmas Cake" to be stored
: away and mellowed for the Christmas of 2004.
:
: Cheers, Wayne

Query, given your extensive experience on the subject: Is there any flavor difference to be gained
by adding spirits to the exterior of the cake in question and "aging" it, versus macerating the
fruit in spirits (for 2-3 days?) prior to adding it to the batter?

I'm not Wayne (and he's probably made more fruitcakes than me),but I'm curious - is there any reason
you wouldn't do both?

I macerate the fruit in the grog for a day or two (depending on how organised I am - it was three
days this year as I didn't get around to making the cake the day I meant to) before making the cake.
After the cake comes out of the oven I then pour more of whatever spirit I'm using over the cake
before wrapping cake and tin tightly in foil and leaving to cool. A tip I read in a recipe that I
used this year said to cool the cake upside down to get a nice flat top on the cake for decorating.
I wasn't planning to decorate it but thought I'd try it, and it worked.

If making the cake far enough ahead (I did a last minute cake this year that only got aged for a
couple of weeks - everybody who had it thought it was great, but of course it would have been better
if made earlier) I would then add more spirits during the aging process.

I didn't think I needed to choose between the two processes.

Rhonda Anderson Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

"Charles Gifford" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Daisy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I read a newspaper article yesterday written by a non-USA person, who had experienced life in a
Brtitsh-style culture for a while. The article was all about fruit cakes.

One thing I've noticed in this thread is that, while the thread is titled "Christmas Cake", the
conversation so far is about fruit cake, plum cake or similar. For me, a Christmas Cake is similar
to a fruit cake, but has layer(s) of marzipan and nice crunchy icing over that.

Charlie

Charlie, I think it depends largely on your country of origin or culture, and family tradition.
IMHO, "Christmas Cake" as a title is most often referred to by the English and "usually" implies
a rich and heavy fruit- laden cake. While not often baked in layers, many fruitcakes in England
are covered completely in marzipan, then iced in what I believe is a Royal Icing, which is
certainly crunchy. I don't believe I have ever seen any type of fruitcake in the USA covered in
anything at all.

My family's heritage is English, although back many generations. My maternal grandmother's fruitcake
was never covered in anything. However, she didn't call it a Christmas Cake. Christmas in her home
usually revealed 6-8 different types of rich cakes (many with fruits either in the cake or in the
filling) and none of them were actually called Christmas Cake.

FWIW, Wayne

"Rhonda Anderson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
: "Mabry" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:kPJJb.286095$J77.39872 @fed1read07:
:
:
: >:
: >: FWIW, on the Saturday following Christmas, I baked 20 pounds of "Christmas Cake" to be stored
: >: away and mellowed for the Christmas
of
: >: 2004.
: >:
: >: Cheers, Wayne
: >
: > Query, given your extensive experience on the subject: Is there any flavor difference to be
: > gained by adding spirits to the exterior of
the
: > cake in question and "aging" it, versus macerating the fruit in
spirits
: > (for 2-3 days?) prior to adding it to the batter?
: >
:
: I'm not Wayne (and he's probably made more fruitcakes than me),but I'm curious - is there any
: reason you wouldn't do both?
:
Yes, to make the flavor of the fruit separate from the flavor of the cake itself. I felt that if it
all tasted the exact same, and the only difference was "mouth feel", that was tantamount to melting
chocolate chips and stirring the chocolate flavor through the cookie batter.

-Mabry-
: I macerate the fruit in the grog for a day or two (depending on how organised I am - it was three
: days this year as I didn't get around to making the cake the day I meant to) before making the
: cake. After the cake comes out of the oven I then pour more of whatever spirit I'm
using
: over the cake before wrapping cake and tin tightly in foil and leaving
to
: cool. A tip I read in a recipe that I used this year said to cool the cake upside down to get a
: nice flat top on the cake for decorating. I wasn't planning to decorate it but thought I'd try it,
: and it worked.
:
: If making the cake far enough ahead (I did a last minute cake this
year
: that only got aged for a couple of weeks - everybody who had it
thought
: it was great, but of course it would have been better if made earlier)
I
: would then add more spirits during the aging process.
:
: I didn't think I needed to choose between the two processes.
:
:
: Rhonda Anderson Cranebrook, NSW, Australia
:
:
:

"Charles Gifford" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Daisy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I read a newspaper article yesterday written by a non-USA person, who had experienced life in a
Brtitsh-style culture for a while. The article was all about fruit cakes.

One thing I've noticed in this thread is that, while the thread is titled "Christmas Cake", the
conversation so far is about fruit cake, plum cake or similar. For me, a Christmas Cake is similar
to a fruit cake, but has layer(s) of marzipan and nice crunchy icing over that.

Here, Christmas cake is a dark fruit cake made at Christmas time <g>. It may sometimes be iced with
marzipan and royal icing, but not necessarily. I never ice mine. I think I've mostly only eaten
fruitcake with marzipan and royal icing when it's wedding cake. That's a traditional wedding cake
here, and what I had at my wedding, although nowadays people often have different cakes.

Rhonda Anderson Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

"Wayne Boatwright" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Charles Gifford" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Daisy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I read a newspaper article yesterday written by a non-USA person, who had experienced life in a
Brtitsh-style culture for a while. The article was all about fruit cakes.

One thing I've noticed in this thread is that, while the thread is titled "Christmas Cake", the
conversation so far is about fruit cake, plum cake or similar. For me, a Christmas Cake is
similar to a fruit cake, but has layer(s) of marzipan and nice crunchy icing over that.

I am British, and you are quite right that the Christmas cake is fed with brandy/rum for a week or
two and then it is painted with warmed and sieved apricot jam [jelly] which helps the marzipan to
stick the cake is then fully covered in Marzipan and finally iced with Royal icing and either made
to look like a snow scene if you are not so good at icing or it is flat iced and them elaborately
decorated with piped icing rather like a wedding cake. Diane

"Rhonda Anderson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Here, Christmas cake is a dark fruit cake made at Christmas time <g>. It may sometimes be iced
with marzipan and royal icing, but not necessarily.

I

Quoted message said:

never ice mine. I think I've mostly only eaten fruitcake with marzipan and royal icing when it's
wedding cake. That's a traditional wedding cake

here,

Quoted message said:

and what I had at my wedding, although nowadays people often have

different

Quoted message said:

cakes.

Rhonda Anderson Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

Hmmmm. If I ever get to Australia I'll have to try to be invited to a wedding! I love this
kind of cake.

Charlie

"Diane Epps" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Wayne Boatwright" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Charles Gifford" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Daisy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
> I read a newspaper article yesterday written by a non-USA person, who had experienced life in
> a Brtitsh-style culture for a while. The article was all about fruit cakes.

One thing I've noticed in this thread is that, while the thread is titled "Christmas Cake", the
conversation so far is about fruit cake, plum cake or similar. For me, a Christmas Cake is
similar to a fruit cake, but has layer(s) of marzipan and nice crunchy icing over that.

I am British, and you are quite right that the Christmas cake is fed with brandy/rum for a week or
two and then it is painted with warmed and sieved apricot jam [jelly] which helps the marzipan to
stick the cake is then fully covered in Marzipan and finally iced with Royal icing and either made
to look like a snow scene if you are not so good at icing or it is flat iced and them elaborately
decorated with piped icing rather like a wedding cake. Diane

Diane, I'm not sure that the progression of your quotes are right, so I'm not sure if you're
responding to what I posted.

However, thank you for confirming what I believed about British Christmas Cakes. I had forgotten
about the apricot jam. While I do bake fruitcakes, I don't cover them in marzipan, but if I'm
prsenting the whole cake I do glaze them with apricot jam.

Thanks, Wayne

"Diane Epps" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Wayne Boatwright" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Charles Gifford" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Daisy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
> I read a newspaper article yesterday written by a non-USA person, who had experienced life in
> a Brtitsh-style culture for a while. The article was all about fruit cakes.

One thing I've noticed in this thread is that, while the thread is titled "Christmas Cake",
the conversation so far is about fruit cake, plum cake or similar. For me, a Christmas Cake is
similar to a fruit cake, but has layer(s) of marzipan and nice crunchy icing over that.

I am British, and you are quite right that the Christmas cake is fed with brandy/rum for a week or
two and then it is painted with warmed and sieved apricot jam [jelly] which helps the marzipan to
stick the cake is then

fully

Quoted message said:

covered in Marzipan and finally iced with Royal icing and either made to look like a snow scene if
you are not so good at icing or it is flat iced and them elaborately decorated with piped icing
rather like a wedding

cake.

Quoted message said:

Diane

Yep. That is the stuff! I've had the pleasure to enjoy it at Christmas time in both England and
Ireland. I have tried making it myself but have decided I have no talent for it. <sigh>

Charlie

"Mabry" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:CaXJb.347020$J77.53628
@fed1read07:

Quoted message said:

"Rhonda Anderson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
: "Mabry" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:kPJJb.286095$J77.39872 @fed1read07:
:
:
: >:
: >: FWIW, on the Saturday following Christmas, I baked 20 pounds of "Christmas Cake" to be stored
: >: away and mellowed for the Christmas
of
: >: 2004.
: >:
: >: Cheers, Wayne
: >
: > Query, given your extensive experience on the subject: Is there any flavor difference to be
: > gained by adding spirits to the exterior of
the
: > cake in question and "aging" it, versus macerating the fruit in
spirits
: > (for 2-3 days?) prior to adding it to the batter?
: >
:
: I'm not Wayne (and he's probably made more fruitcakes than me),but I'm curious - is there any
: reason you wouldn't do both?
:
Yes, to make the flavor of the fruit separate from the flavor of the cake itself. I felt that if
it all tasted the exact same, and the only difference was "mouth feel", that was tantamount to
melting chocolate chips and stirring the chocolate flavor through the cookie batter.

Um, with the type of fruitcake I like and make there's really not that much in the way of "cake" to
separate from the fruit. The cake is really fruit with just enough batter to hold it together.

Rhonda Anderson Cranebrook, NSW, Australia