Daniels’ Christmas Cake
Who passed this recipe down to you? My grandmother, Rachel Baker
Recipe origin: Canada / UK
How old is this recipe? 120+ years old
The story behind the recipe:
My Nan and I made this together when I was a young girl. It's full of soft fruit - no hard peel or nuts - that's pre-soaked in fruit juice/wine/alcohol. Nan's family were teetotalers, but brandy was on hand for 'medicinal purposes', and to soak the fruit for the Christmas cake. Story has it that one year my teen-aged dad secretly added extra brandy to the soaking fruit, and Nan's father proclaimed to his wife that it was 'the best Christmas cake you've ever made, Mother'. Sometimes I make half a recipe, thinking that Christmas Cake is a bit 'old-fashioned', and give some of the small loaves away to Cake-loving friends. I always run out! I make this in October. In the Daniels family, cakes were made larger and the tops covered with rolled out almond paste and decorated with candied cherries and little silver balls.
Ingredients:
- Batter Ingredients (I often add a bit more of each spice than called for)
- 1 pound butter
- 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 12 eggs
- 4 cups flour
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp allspice
- 2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp mace
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp almond flavouring
Fruit Mixture
- 2 pounds dark raisins
- 1 pound seeded raisins
- 1 pound cherries (not fresh ones)
- 2 more pounds fruit
- 1/2 pound dates - chopped
- Rind and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
- 1 1/2 cups fruit juice/wine/alcohol (pineapple? grapefruit? any flavour is fine)
- Flour to lightly flour the fruit
(Bottom line: you need 6 1/2 pounds of fruit. I sometimes use chopped candied ginger, dried apple, dried pineapple as well as whatever type of raisins - without seeds - that you like)
How to make it:
Fruit Mixture
Combine all the fruit, peel and juices, etc. well in a very large bowl (when I was little, we used an old washstand bowl). Cover with a tea towel and let stand at least overnight. I usually add in more liquid than called for and stir well, although you don't want to end up with unabsorbed liquid.
Batter
Beat butter and sugar well. Beat in eggs, 2 at a time, then vanilla and almond flavouring. Combine flour and spices well, and beat into batter a cup or so at a time. Sprinkle the fruit mixture with about 1/2 cup of flour, then fold into batter and mix well.
Bake at 275 F. I tend to use smaller foil loaf pans, or 6" x 9" foil pan, and bake for about 2 1/2 hours. The smaller pans bake faster, and when cool I cut the 6 x 9 bake into 3 small loaves. Test for doneness -- they'll look a bit dark on top, browned around the edges.
Let them cool overnight. Remove from pans, cut as needed (see above) and wrap each loaf in plastic wrap, first poking holes in the top and drizzling with juice or wine or brandy or fruit liqueur or ?. Store in cool place. I often unwrap them a month later, poke more holes, and drizzle with more liquid.
It's easier than ever to tell beatiful food stories.