We are way behind on Xmas. Like, waaaaay behind. We got back from honeymoon at the end of the week last week and I popped on Facebook to see a friend posting a pic of her kid with the caption ’10 More Sleeps!’
To what? I thought and then it hit me – WE FORGOT ABOUT CHRISTMAS.
Between catching up on WTF is going on with the school plays, WTF the kids really want from Santa, WhoTF is coming for dinner on Xmas Day, HTF the laundry is so out of control (I think it was riding and multiplying while we were away) and WhyTF didn’t we just leg it with the kids to the nearest Canary Island.. we are chasing our tails ALMOST as much as we were before the damn wedding.
And even though there are no presents wrapped (even though there are plenty of no presents BOUGHT tbh)- I still had to prioritise and get the Xmas Cake into the oven.
I have an old Odlums recipe book belonging to my mum that gets whipped out every year for a really old school, but delicious, and easy-to-make recipe.
Here’s how:
Mix 16oz mixed fruit (you can get a ready-mixed bag of raisins, currants and sultanas in your local supermarket) with 1/4 glass whiskey overnight
Cream 8oz (half a block) of butter with 8oz brown sugar until light in colour
Add six eggs, one at a time until they are well beaten into the mixture
Sieve 12oz cream flour and fold in
Add 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice and a pinch of nutmeg – mix well
Grate the rind of one lemon and extract the juice
Add lemon rind, juice and 1/4 teaspoon almond essence to the mix
(All of the above can be done with an electric mixer, and then I would switch to hand mixing for the next few steps!)
Add whiskey-soaked fruit, 3oz mixed peel and 3oz chopped cherries (also can be bought in your local supermarket)
Chuck in another 1/4 glass of whiskey for good measure!
How to line the cake tin:
Set a 9-inch round tin on a sheet of baking paper and trace the shape of the tin on the paper with a pen.
Cut two circles from the baking paper to match the size of the tin; and a further small hole in the middle of one sheet (this is for the top of the cake)
Grease the inside of the tin with butter or oil and place one circular sheet at the bottom
Cut two rectangular pieces of baking paper and run them around the sides of the tin. They may need a little tape in the middle to keep them together, alternatively you can use string to hold it all in place.
Waiting is THE WORST
Pour the cake mixture inside, spreading out the top evenly with the back of a spoon
Chopped almonds can be sprinkled on top if you wish
Place the second circular sheet of baking paper on top – the idea of the small hole in the centre is that your cake is being kept moist in baking without burning the top
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 150C for approximately two hours, or until a skewer put in the middle comes out clean
When baked, cool on a wire rack until cold.
Keep wrapped in baking sheets and tin foil and it will keep for up to two weeks. Make sure to pop a few holes in the top and ‘feed’ it with the odd capful of whiskey from time to time!
[This article first appeared on fab parenting website HerFamily.ie]
We’d love you to share your Xmas cake decorating pics with us so why not post them to our Facebook page and see what happens!
**Stuck for last-minute Xmas gift ideas? We are still sending out Xmas vouchers for Mum’s Box until the end of the week. Just €55 signs your intended gift recipient for a 3-month subscription in 2017..wouldn’t that be nice?! Just click on the pic below for more info!**
