Classic Twelfth-Night Cake

Classic Twelfth-Night Cake



Ingredients:

350g butter
350g caster sugar
6 eggs, beaten
75ml brandy
350g plain flour
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
700g mixed dried fruit
50g blanched almonds, chopped
45g apricot conserve or apricot jam
900g almond paste (or marzipan)
4 egg whites
900g icing sugar
3 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp glycerine
glacé fruit, candied angelica and silver balls, to decorate

Method:

Cream the butter and sugar toghether until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well after each addition then add the brandy. Fold-in the flour, spices, fruit and nuts. Grease a deep 25cm cake tin and line the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper. Tip the cake mixture into this and tap to remove any trapped air. Place the cake in an oven pre-heated to 150°C and bake for about 2.5 hours, or until the cake is firm to the touch. If the top of the cake darkens too quickly cover with a sheet of folded greaseproof paper about half-way through the cooking. Remove the cake from the oven, allow to cool in its tin for 30 minutes then tip onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Once cold cover the surface of the cake with the apricot preserve or apricot jam. Roll out the almond paste and cut just enough of the paste to go around the side of the cake. Then roll the remainder of the paste out and use to cover the top of the cake. Allow the cake to set for at least two days then prepare the icing by lightly beating the egg whites and incorporating the icing sugar into this to form a stiff paste. Add the lemon juice and glycerine and incorporate well. Then, using a palette knife sprad the icing all the way around the sides and top of the cake. Place in a tin and allow to set for at least two days. When ready form a cresecent of the candied fruit and anjelica on top of the cake and decorate with the silver balls.

I have never baked a 12th Night Cake before, never really bothered with the entire day . . . but next year I am deffinatley going to make this cake, get a pot of 'wassail' on the go and celebrate 12th Night with a few friends in style! I find that nowadays a lot of my friends are tied over for Christmas and the New Year with family things, but I reckon on the 5th January everyone will be free for one last booze-up and slice of cake!

Thanks Alice

1 lb. butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 lb. light brown sugar
3 lbs. currants
9 eggs
2 lbs. raisins, seeded and finely chopped
1 lb. flour
2 teaspoons mace
1/2 lb. almonds, blanched and shredded
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon soda
1 lb. citron, thinly sliced and cut in strips

Cream the butter, add sugar gradually, and beat thoroughly. Separate yolks from whites of eggs; beat yolks until thick and lemon-colored, whites until stiff and dry, and add to first mixture. Then add milk, fruit, nuts, and flour mixed and sifted with mace, cinnamon, and soda. Put in buttered deep pans, cover with buttered paper, steam three hours, and bake one and one half hours in a slow oven, or bake four hours in a
very slow oven. Rich fruit cake is always more satisfactory when done if the cooking is accomplished by steaming.