Xmas Cake Recipe

by Heart Foundation
(Motherinc.com.au)

There are many variations to Christmas cakes. There is not one, but many types of xmas cake recipes for you to try out. Most of the recipes I have come across where, honestly, inedible!

But there are the few that make for a wonderful base that you can build on. This delicious recipe is full of all the flavours that come to mind when we think of Christmas.


Xmas Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

1kg mixed dried fruit

150g glacé apricots, chopped

150g glacé cherries, chopped

50g glacé ginger, chopped

250ml brandy

2 tbsp safflower oil

3 egg whites, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla essence

100g blanched almonds, chopped

1 tbsp lime ginger marmalade

60ml orange juice

1 cup plain flour

1 cup wholemeal flour

½ cup self raising flour

2 tsp mixed spice

Frosted fruit:

500g mixed fresh fruit
(eg berries, cherries, grapes)

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1/2 cup caster sugar


Method:

• Put the mixed dried fruit and glace fruit in a large bowl and mix. Add the brandy, cover and stand overnight.

• Preheat the oven to 150°C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm round or 23cm square cake tin with 2 layers of baking paper. Put the sugar, oil, egg whites and vanilla in a bowl and beat until smooth. Add the almonds, marmalade and orange juice. Stir through the fruit mixture.

• Sift the flours and spice into a bowl, then fold in the fruit. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin then tap the tin on the bench to remove any air bubbles. Smooth the surface of the cake with damp hands. Wrap several layers of newspaper around the outside of the tin and secure with string to stop the outside of the cake from burning.


• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 3-31/2 hours or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre. Loosely cover the top of the cake with baking paper if it starts to darken too much during cooking. Cool completely then top with frosted fruit.

• To make the frosted fruit - brush the fruit with the egg white, roll in caster sugar and allow to dry.


*Hope you enjoyed this Xmas cake recipe, now I'd like to tell you about my favorite diet program that uses a lot of the healthy lower GI foods: Isabel de los Rios' 'The Diet Solution Program'.

The Diet Solution Program favours a long term health orientated approach to fat loss, but not offering anyone a quick fix to their weight troubles. It has loads of valuable data and research to support its approach. I personally investigated the program thoroughly and my mum has been using it for a while now. I have to say she got some great results.

The nutrition plan is one of the healthiest we have seen, a strong core focus on vegetables, fruits, vitamin dense foods, lean proteins, select dairy produce and a clear approach to not expecting one diet to work for all body types. So give it a try and let me know how you’re doing.*

Original Xmas Cake Recipe