Maggie Beers Christmas Cake Recipes

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:

• Mix the first six dry ingredients together in mixing bowl.
• Mix the last four wet ingredients together in large separate bowl. Blend well.
• On low speed on your mixer, add dry ingredients in three separate batches. After the last batch is added, mix about five minutes more, using a spatula to clean the sides of the bowl from time to time.
• Preheat oven 350*.
• Spray Pam on all sides and bottom of 9X13 pan. Sprinkle a little flour over the Pam to prevent batter from sticking.
• Bake about 45-50 minutes in the middle rack of your oven. If you touch the middle of the cake and the dent comes back up, the cake is done or insert toothpick and if it comes out clean it is done. There will be a slight crispyness on the edges. This cake freezes well.
• Cool for at least 10 minutes.
• Note: You may use muffin pans and fill a 1/4 measuring cup. Make sure you use Pam and flour in the muffin cups before you fill. Bake about 15 minutes. Makes about 36.
• Servings are for cake.