Mini Christmas Cakes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many feeds should a Christmas cake have? ›

Wrap the cake in greaseproof paper or baking parchment then wrap it in kitchen foil. Store cake in a second layer of foil or in an airtight tin. You can repeat the feeding process every couple of weeks for three or four feeds. However, if the cake makes the work surface damp, appears wet or stodgy, discontinue feeding.

Ideally though, you should try to cook just one large cake or one tray of cakes at a time. Putting too many tins in the oven can affect the cooking times, as your oven will have to work a lot harder to cook multiple cakes, and so your bakes will take longer.

If you are making the cake more than 3 months in advance then you will need to "feed" it occasionally to help it to stay moist. Feeding involves brushing the surface of the cake with a couple of tablespoons of alcohol (brandy, whisky or bourbon are the most popular choices).

Christmas cakes are also commonly made with pudding while a fruit cake uses butter, however there are Christmas cake recipes that do contain butter. The traditional Scottish Christmas cake, also known as the Whisky Dundee, is very popular. It is a light crumbly cake with currants, raisins, cherries and Scotch whisky.

You can use rum, brandy or whisky for spice, or if you like citrus flavours, try an orange liqueur. Cherry brandy and amaretto will also work well if you prefer these.

Might just give one last go this week then leave it til ready to ice it. I overfed mine last year. It tasted fine (I love a boozy cake!) but it was very very soggy.

Other good choices of booze include brandy, rum, or whiskey. Feel free to use one or a mix of these to best complement your fruitcake. Once you've chosen the liquor, bake the cake, poke holes throughout the whole thing, and pour a few tablespoons of the alcohol over it. Or, you can brush the cake with the alcohol.

You can soak the fruit for days (or weeks) by adding alcohol and mixing as you go, allowing the dried fruit to soak up all the liquid. We do this by adding alcohol (or fruit juice or even a mix) bit by bit until the fruit is plump, or you can just soak overnight and add the rest of the alcohol after the cake is baked.

This is a common mistake, and can cause your cake to collapse because the rush of cold air stops your caking from rising. Leave the oven closed for at least 3/4 of the cooking time, and then when you do check the cake, if it still needs more baking wait at least 5-10 minutes before opening the oven again.

You may find that the cake is damp but still edible. If you feel it is too underdone to eat then you can cut the properly cooked outside pieces off and just discard the very wet centre.

Do you leave Christmas cake in the tin to cool? ›

Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.

Baking a cake in a too-hot oven for the recommended time will dry it out. And baking a cake in a not-hot-enough oven will dry the crust before the center is fully baked.

Soggy bottoms

This normally happens when the oven is not hot enough or the pastry is not baked for long enough. However, it can also be because too much water was added to the dough.

This can happen for a variety of reasons ranging from type of flour, not enough eggs/wrong size eggs, not enough liquid or fats and even storage.

The reason why they are traditionally baked so early is so the fruit mixture can mature in the tin and be 'fed' with alcohol before it is enjoyed during the festive season. Therefore, the longer you are able to do this, the richer and more delicious it will be.

We recommend wrapping your fruitcake in plastic wrap before placing it in an airtight container. Then, place that container in the fridge. Doing this can ensure your fruitcake stays fresh for up to two months.

Traditional Christmas pudding is the original make-ahead dessert. It is meant to be made on the last Sunday before Advent, or five weeks before Christmas. The pudding should be stored in a cool, dry place until Christmas day. All you need to do is reheat it before serving.