Miniature Christmas Cakes

I made these last Christmas for the first time to give as gifts and they were a great hit. For the moulds I used Silverwood mini round cake pan set, size 5cm or 2 inch. They are a little pricey so shop round a bit for the best cost. Nearer Christmas I will decorate them with marzipan and icing and add it to the blog.


www.alansilverwood.co.uk/id53.html

Recipe
Makes 16 mini or 18cm/7inch round cake


Ingredients
175g sultanas
175g currants
175g raisins
75g chopped peel
25ml/ 1 1/2 tbsp brandy
175g plain flour
40g ground almonds
3.5ml/ 3/4 tsp mixed spice
175g butter
175g soft brown sugar
3 eggs
15ml/ 1tbsp black treacle or molasses
2.5 ml/ 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
75g glace cherries
40g chopped almonds
3/4 lemon, rind and juice

1. Soak the sultanas, currants, raisins and chopped peel in brandy overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 150C or gas mark 2. Grease and line cake tins or tin.
3. Sieve the flour, ground almonds and spice into a bowl. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light, fluffy and pale. Do not over beat.
4. Lightly mix together the eggs, treacle and vanilla. Beat into the creamed mixture a little at a time adding a spoonful of flour after each addition.
5. Rinse the cherries and chop. Add to the fruit with the chopped almonds, lemon rind and juice and a small amount of flour. Fold the remaining flour into the creamed mixture, followed by the dried fruit. Add extra brandy or milk or necessary.
6. Spoon into cake tins or tin and level the top. Place a container of water in the oven to help keep the cake moist. If making one larger cake then tie a double layer of brown paper or newspaper around the outside of the tin to protect it during cooking.
7. Bake for about 1 hour for miniature cakes until a skewer comes out clean. For a larger cake bake for 1 hour and then reduce the oven temperature to 120C or gas mark 1/2 for a further 2 hours and again test with a skewer.
8. Allow to cool in the tin before removing. Prick the surface with a cocktail stick or skewer and drizzle over some brandy.
9. Store the cakes in greaseproof paper in an air tight container and in a cool place. Feed once a week with brandy. Leave to age for at least a month to allow the flavour to mature.

Feed the cakes about once a week with warm brandy for a least a month, then you can decorate them. Spread the cakes with an apricot glaze then place on your cake board. Roll out the marzipan, cover and trim to size then brush with a little brandy. Then roll out your icing and again cover and trim to size. You can now use your imagination and decorate as you wish. I used two different sized snowlakes in contrasting colours, finished off with a silver or blue ball. As most of them were for presents, I gift wrapped them with cellophane and ribbon. These are the finished articles.