La mia carissima amica Carreen svela agli amici di blogdivino tutti i segreti della Christmas Cake (quella vera!!).. Grazie del contributo Carreen e Buon Natale anche a te!!

Irish Whiskey Christmas Cake (by Carreen Conlan)
 
Makes 4 inch (10 cm) square cakes or an 8inch (20cm) square cake.
 
For the pre-soaking
10 fl. oz (275ml) Isish Whiskey  - or any other whiskey
1 1/2 teaspoons of Angostura bitters
1 lb (450gr) raisins
8 oz. currants (225 gr)
4 oz (110 gr) stoned no-soak prunes
2 oz (50gr. glacé cerries
2 oz. (50 gr.) almonds
4 oz. (110 gr) mixed candied peel
1/2 rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 vanilla extract
1 tablespoon molasses sugar
grated zest of 1 orange
grated zest 1 lemon 1/2 salt
 
For the cake
 
9oz (250 gr) self-raising flour sifted
9 oz. (250 gr. demarara sugar
9oz. (250 gr.) unsalted butter
5 large eggs
1tablespoon apricot jam
1 tablespoon whiskey
 
One week before you intend to bake the cake, measure out thewhiskey, bitters and 3 tablespoons of water into a large sacepan, then roughly chop the prunes, cherries and almonds and finely dice the mixed candied peel.   Add these, along with the rest of the pre-soaking ingredients, to the pan. Simmer gently, without lid for 15 minutes.   Leave for seven days and shake from time to time.
 
Pre-heat the oven (140C).
Measure the flour, sugar and butter into a very large bowl, then add the eggs and beat with a wooden spoon until everything is blended. Fold in the fruit mixture then sppon the mixture into the prepared tin.  (You will need an 8 inch (20 cm) square cake tin, greased and lined with double thickness of silicone paper.
Bake in the centre of the oven for approx. three hours without opening the door of the oven. Test.
 
Cool the cake.   when you are rady to finish the cake, tak asharp knie and cut into quarters.  Put jam on the top of the cake and roll out marzipan to size.  Do the same for the sides of the cake.    When the marzipan is dry cover with Royal icing.
 
Royal icing
8 oz (225 gr) icing sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
The white of one egg (well beaten but not stiff)
 
Gently fold in the egg white and then lemon juice util you have a smooth mixture.   With a knife dipped in boiling water . smooth onto the cake with a back of a spoon.
 
Merry Christmas

Carreen
 

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