It is the season again when ingredients are gathered to make the family’s Christmas fruit cake.
Some folks will stick their noses up and wrinkle them in disdain. On the other end of the scale will be the folks whose eyes light up with the opportunity to taste Grandma’s Christmas cake, the recipe still a secret kept within the family.
Shoppers have been heard to gasp in horror at the price of the tiny pieces of “festive cakes” being sold in the grocery stores. There’s no escaping that Christmas cakes are expensive to make at home, but on the other hand, those cakes make generous numbers of cakes — that could be preserved in the freezer for two or more years.
This week’s Christmas cake recipes come from my favourite Mennonite Cookbook.
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Golden Christmas Cake
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups blanched almonds
2 cups light seedless raisins
1/2 cup cut glaced pineapple
1/2 cup cut mixed peel
1 cup glaced cherries
1/2 cup strained crushed pineapple
1 pkg. gumdrops, chopped
Cover washed apricots with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes then drain. Cool slightly and cut into slices.
Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Place over heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Add apricot strips and cook slowly for 25-30 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Drain well.
Cream butter then add sugar gradually and cream. Add slightly beaten eggs then sifted dry ingredients and vanilla.
Add apricots and other fruit, raisins and almonds and mix well.
Line two large loaf tins with well-greased brown paper and bake in a 300 degrees F oven for 2-2 1/2 hours. Toothpick should come out clean.
Cool in pans then remove cakes and cool thoroughly. Wrap tightly in foil and store in cool place for several days before slicing. Cakes may be frozen.
• • •
White Christmas Cake
1/2 lb. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup milk
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 lb. almonds, optional
1/2 lb. mixed peel
1/2 lb. green and red cherries
1 lb. light-coloured raisins
5 eggs, separated
1 tsp. lemon extract
Cream butter then slowly add sugar and beat well. Add well-beaten egg yolks.
Blanch and chop almonds, if using. Sift 1 cup of flour over fruits and almonds and mix to coat.
Add milk to sugar and butter mixture then add fruits.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into the cake batter. Add lemon and fold.
Line cake pans with two layers of heavy brown paper that have been well-greased. Bake for 2 hours or longer in an oven that has been pre-heated to 300 degrees F. Wrap in rum-soaked cheese cloth then in layers of foil. Let flavours meld for several weeks before slicing.
Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
