Is It Not Time To Get Ready Your Christmas Fruit Cake ? – Boiled Fruits And Nuts Cake

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INTRODUCTION

This is the traditional fruit cake baked in a rather traditional way. It is one type of fruit cakes that can be served during Christmas.

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Am I crazy to bake fruit cake for Christmas now? My answer is no and in fact it is just the right time to bake this cake. You can keep this cake for at least three months in the refrigerator. You can take out your fruit cake and periodically (may be once in a month) add rums to your fruit cake, and by the time when Christmas arrives, the fruit cake will be aromatic enough to make you drunk.

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TRADITIONAL APPROACH IN MAKING THE FRUIT CAKE

I got this recipe from one of my favourite old cookbooks –  “The Essential Baking Cookbook” published by Murdoch Books in year 2000. The recipe is using the boiling method in the preparation of the cake batter and requires additional protection during the baking process.

Two days ago, when I am clearing my kitchen self, I found some mixed fruits in the self that I have purchased a few month’s ago. As it is occupying a space in my shelf, I thought I might as well prepare a traditional fruit cake for the coming Christmas.

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I have made minimal changes to the recipe except the substitution of some cherries with nuts and the addition of some rum. Therefore, I should say, this is a TRADITIONAL FRUITS AND NUTS CAKE.

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Recipe adapted from : Boiled Fruit Cake from “The Essential Baking Cookbook” published by Murdoch Books in year 2000 page 80

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  • 250 grams of unsalted butter

  • 185 grams of soft brown sugar

  • 185 grams of self raising flour

  • 125 grams of plain flour

  • 1 teaspoon of mixed spices (can use those of Indonesia layered cake)

  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

  • 175 grams of plain water (not in picture)

  • 1/8 cups of rum

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  • 750 grams of mixed fruits

  • 250 grams of mixed nuts (I have used cashew nuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds)

  • 4 eggs lightly beaten

Others

  • Some old newspapers and some baking paper.

  • 9 inches round baking tin

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

Special Lining of Cake Tin

Because of the long cooking time, fruit cakes requires extra protection.

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  • Preheat the oven to 160 degree Celsius. Place a few layers of newspaper on the oven rack just before the baking starts.

  • Line your 9 inches baking tray with DOUBLE LAYERS OF BAKING PAPERS for both bottom and side. For the side, it has to be higher, about 2 inches above the cake tin. Join 2 pieces of newspapers together using stapler. Overlap the newspapers (1/3 of the width of newspaper) and use a stapler to staple together. Wrap around the side. Cover with another piece of clean paper and staple the baking paper, newspaper and clean paper at the top of the collar. Note that you can used clean paper instead of newspapers. The main purpose of this step is to provide extra protection to the fruit cake due to its long baking process.

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Preparation of Batter

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  • In a big sauce pan, put together butter, water, sugar and mixed fruits. Stir over low heat until the butter has melted and sugar dissolved. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat, simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Let it cool and set aside.

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  • Once cooled, add in beaten eggs, rums and stir well.

  • In another big mixing bowl, sift the flour together with the spices. Make a well in the centre. Pour the mixed fruits into the well and mix well. Add the nuts and pour the batter into the cake tin. Smooth the surface with the spatula. Lightly knock the bottom to ensure that there are no trapped air inside.

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Baking the Cakes

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  • Bake the cake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted come out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake. Leave the cake in the tin for at least one hour before taking out from the cake tin.

  • Flavours and textures start to improve after 3 days and it can keep for 2-3 months in the freezer section. If desired, add a few tablespoons of  rum periodically to the fruit cake (once in a month) to enhance the alcoholic fragrance.

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  • Keeping of fruit cake, consider the following method: 1st layer – clingy wrap, 2nd layer – kitchen towel, 3rd layer – aluminium foil, 4th layer – plastic bag. Store in freezer section. This will avoid the moisture lost. Defrost on room temperature, meaning take your cake from freezer and let it defrost at room temperature a few hours before consumption.

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CONCLUSION 

The cake is prepared using a traditional method but because of the extra protection given to the cake, the cake is very moist. Flavour will be enhanced after another few days. Don’t worry about the shelf life of the cake, as long as it is properly kept, it can keep for months and I have ever keep fruit cakes for a period of more than 6 months in a deep freezer. In addition, alcohol is another preservation agent.

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Bookmark this page and may be you can consider making the cake for your coming Christmas when you are free. It will never be too early.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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  • For more recipes, you can refer to my RECIPE INDEX (updated as at 15 October 2014)  here and you can follow me at PINTEREST or visit the blog’s FACEBOOK PAGE to keep abreast of my future posts.  

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One, Two, Three…….Let’s Start Making Traditional Short Bread Biscuits (英式传统牛油饼干）

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INTRODUCTION

I have mentioned before that my family members like buttery biscuits or cakes. Butter cake without any flavour will definitely top my list of cakes whereas short bread will be my preferred choice of biscuits. Short bread is crumbly in textures and full of buttery aroma and it is addictive as long as I started the first bite.

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When I was searching for short crust pastry for my “short crust pastry moon cake” post, I remember wrongly and instead I searched for short bread. When I read the definition of Wikipedia, it immediately caught my attention.

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Per Wikipedia, it was written that

Shortbread is a type of biscuit (“cookie” in American English) which is traditionally made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour (by weight). The use of plain white (wheat) flour is common today, and other ingredients like ground rice or corn flour are sometimes added to alter the texture. Also, modern recipes often deviate from the pure three ingredients by splitting the sugar portion into equal parts granulated sugar and powdered sugar and many further add a portion of salt. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortbread)

I was amazed by the simple ratio of one part white sugar, two parts butter and three parts of flour. I did not look around for any further recipe and based on these three figures, I prepared my traditional style short bread.

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This is my first attempt and I am generally happy with the results though the shaping still needs improvement. I may try out other recipes in the net and compared the actual differences and what other special ingredients that were added to alter the texture.

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

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  • 50 g of icing sugar

  • 100 g of butter

  • 150 g of plain flour

  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

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STEPS OF PREAPRATION

Preparation

  • Preheat your oven to 180  165 degree Celsius.

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  • In a big mixing bowl, place cut butters, vanilla essence, icing sugar, plain flours. Mix and knead until it form a dough.

  • Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a flat sheet of about 1 cm thick.

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  • Shape it into a rectangular shape and use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 1 cm x 4 cm sizes

  • Transfer to the baking tray with a sheet of baking paper. Place the short breads with adequate space to expand.

  • Use a fork or something sharp to make some holes on top of the short breads.

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  • Baked in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes until the colour start to turn golden yellow.

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Additional notes

You can chill the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes before your baking starts. This will help to fix the shape of short bread! This illustration did not include the chilling. Due to the hot temperature in Singapore, The butter melts rather easily therefore chilling will hep to keep the biscuit in shape when you send for baking.

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CONCLUSION

A very short and straight forward post. I like this for its simple easy to remember recipe. This recipe is simply based on the traditional ratio of 1 sugar, 2 butter and 3 flour without additions of texture altering ingredients. The taste and texture is awesome except the shape is not as regular as what we bought from the stores.  It will be an ideal gift for your friends during festive occasions such as Christmas.

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Overall, I am still very pleased with this adventure. It is so simple yet we pay so much for these biscuits in the supermarkets.

Try and you will know how easy it is. Hope you like the post today and have a nice day ahead. Cheers.

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Second batch of short bread made for the celebration of Teacher’s day 2013.

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Updated on 8 – January 2014

Baking this special batch of rose decorated shortbread biscuits. Recipe is the same except I cut it in difference shape and dust it with dried rose petals.

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This recipe was included in Page 18 and Page 19 of the following E-book. 

For more Chinese New Year related cookies, snack and steamed cake recipes, you can have a copy of “Easy Chinese New Year Recipes – A step by step guide” that was packed with 30 recipes, 60 pages at a reasonable convenience fee of USD3.50. The recipes covered various recipes from auspicious radish cake to nian gao to traditional kuih bangkit to trendy London almond cookies. Of course not forgetting both type of pineapple tarts. You can purchase by clicking the link above. You can either pay using Pay Pal or Credit card account. Please ensure that you have an PDF reader like Acrobat or iBooks in your mobile phone or iPad if you intended to read it in your ipad or mobile phone. Should there be any problems of purchasing, feel free to contact me at kengls@singnet.com.sg and separate arrangement can be made.

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