Happy lunchtime, you gorgeous lot!
I can honestly say that, though I have long been looking forward to the December slow-down, my diary has shown no sign of abating. I seem to be making plenty to busy myself with!
This week, we filmed another short tutorial for my new YouTube channel. This is very much ‘coming soon’ so subscribe today for free by clicking here and you will be the first to know as soon as the videos are uploaded.
I’ve also been working on an exclusive Valentine’s Day Cake tutorial for Cake Decoration & Sugarcraft Magazine – it’s a labour of love and I cannot wait to share that with you.
In the meantime, if you want to whip up a boozy fruitcake in time for Christmas, you are going to need to get on it THIS weekend. My Ruby Christmas Cake has been a real crowd pleaser for a few years now and I am thrilled to share it with you. Pick up the ingredients on your way home from work tonight and get those fruits soaking ahead of baking on Saturday…
Remember that, though baking is a science and all ingredients are perfectly balanced, in terms of the equation, there is no difference between a raisin and a dried cranberry. You are free to swap ingredients like-for-like with this recipe according to your tastes and whatever you have to use in your pantry! I started using cranberries because I hate currants, and dried apricot because I had run out of the traditional mixed peel! Sometimes, a quick substitution leads to the most delicious cake.
Because I know that this part is almost as tricky as the cake itself, I have also included a separate method for preparing your cake tin for this cake. Heavy fruited cakes like this need to be baked low and slow; the preparation of the cake tin is essential to prevent the cake cooking too quickly at the edges. Think of it as wrapping up an extra present!
Once baked, you will need to wrap and store your cake until Christmas, opening it weekly for a shot of brandy (or a tipple of your choice). The shot is for the cake, sweetie. Maybe one for the cake and one for the cook.
If you have never baked a Christmas Cake before, give this one a go. I have tried to omit all the things that I dislike in a fruitcake (namely currents and mixed peel… yuck!) adding instead the things I love like cranberries and dates. This year, I am soaking my cake in amaretto for an extra almond kick, but I’ll have to let you know how that turns out in January! Let me know how you get on and stay tuned to the blog in the coming weeks as I’ll help you decorate this baby when the time is right.
Stay gorgeous!
Cxx
