Christmas Beer Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Grease 10-inch tube pan.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into large mixing bowl.
• Cream together in separate bowl butter and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream, beer and vanilla. Stir vigorously approximately two minutes.
• Add to dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are well blended.
• In a separate bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon and walnut chips.
• Spoon one-third of cake batter into greased 10-inch tube pan. Sprinkle on one-third of filling. Spoon on another third of cake batter and again sprinkle on a third of filling. Spoon on remaining third of batter and sprinkle remainder of cinnamon mixture on top.
• Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until browned on top and cake tester comes out clean.

Steps:

• Start with the fruit. Pour the apple juice into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the butter, let it melt, then take off the heat and add the syrup and rum. Put the mixed fruit and cranberries into a large bowl, pour over the hot rum mix, then cover tightly with cling film and leave overnight.
• The next day, heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and double-line a 20cm round, deep cake tin with non-stick baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and pale, then gradually beat in the eggs until light and fluffy. If the mix starts to split or look lumpy, add 1 tbsp of the flour and keep beating. Sift in the flour, spices and ¼ tsp salt, and fold in using a large spoon. Fold in the orange zest, nuts, soaked fruit and soaking liquid.
• Spoon the batter into the tin, level the top, then make a slight dimple in the middle using the back of the spoon. Bake for 1 hr 30 mins, then reduce oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1 and bake for a further 1 hr 45 mins or until it has risen, is a dark golden colour and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Put the tin on a cooling rack and leave until warm.
• To feed the cake the first time, use a cocktail stick to poke all over the top of the warm cake. Stir together the rum and maple syrup, then slowly spoon over the cake. Cool completely, then remove the baking parchment, wrap loosely in clean baking parchment and store in an airtight tin. Feed the cake every week to 10 days until you decorate it.
• To cover, ice and decorate your cake, see 'goes well with' for instructions on how to make our Midwinter candle cake, Sparkly bauble cake or Sparkling snowfetti cake.

Steps:

• Mix the dried fruit and orange zest together in a glass or china bowl.
• Pour the brandy over and mix again.
• Cover the bowl and leave for at least 24 hours, turning mixture occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 140 degrees C.
• Grease and line a 24cm round cake tin with several layers of paper.
• Paper should extend 10cm above the rim of the tin.
• Sift flour, spices and salt.
• Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.
• Beat eggs in a separate bowl then mix very gradually into the creamed mixture.
• Gently fold in the spiced flour, then fold in the dried fruit mixture.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Decorate the top with blanched almonds.
• Bake for about 3 hours.
• A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean when the cake is cooked.
• A baking dish full of water placed on the oven shelf below the cake during cooking will help keep the cake moist.
• Cool the cake in the tin for 30 minutes before transfering to a wire rack.
• To store, wrap the cake in several layers of greaseproof paper, then wrap in foil and store in an air-tight tin.

Steps:

• Put 1kg mixed dried fruit, the zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon, 150ml brandy or other alcohol, 250g softened butter and 200g light, soft brown sugar in a large pan set over a medium heat.
• Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 mins. Tip the fruit mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside - tie with string to secure.
• Add 175g plain flour, 100g ground almonds, ½ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp mixed spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 100g flaked almonds, 4 large eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the fruit mixture and stir well, making sure there are no pockets of flour.
• Tip into your prepared tin, level the top with a spatula and bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hrs.
• Remove the cake from the oven, poke holes in it with a skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp of your chosen alcohol. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
• To store, peel off the baking parchment, then wrap well in cling film. Feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp alcohol every fortnight, until you ice it.
• Don't feed the cake for the final week to give the surface a chance to dry before icing.