It is now time to make your Christmas cake.
I am very much a traditionalist so at this time of the year I always make my Christmas cake exactly as Mamma made it. Memories flood back as the whole house begins to smell of Christmas spices. I have lived for many years in Australia but I still can't get used to the idea of a hot Christmas. For me, with my Swiss upbringing, Christmas means snow and cold outside and warm times inside when you make all sorts of traditional Christmas treats and decorations. It is a time when I really miss Switzerland. Bondi beach is not quite the same.
Even though this cake is a traditional recipe it is actually contemporary as it is made from organic ingredients and is gluten free, made with almond meal instead of flour.
- Ingredients
- 250 gr golden raisins
- 250 gr sultanas
- 250 gr currents
- 100 gr mixed peel
- 100 gr candid pinapple
- 100 gr dried apricots
- 150 ml fresh orange juice plus juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- grated pith of organic lemon
- 100 gr whole almonds
- 100 gr whole pistachios
- 250 gr almond meal
- 5 whole eggs
- 100 gr brown sugar
- 250 gr unsalted butter at room temperature
- a pinch of salt
Put all the dried fruit in a big bowl, cutting the apricots and pineapple in pieces
add the orange and lemon juice, lemon pith and the spices and mix well
cover the bowl and leave over night
pre heat oven to 170˚
in your mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar and salt until light and fluffy
now add the butter in little pieces and continue beating
add the almond meal and mix well
fold the egg- almond mix through the dried fruits
line a 30 cm bread tin with grease proof paper and fill it with the Christmas mix
put the bread tin on an oven tray you have filled with water
bake in pre heated oven for 2 hours
it will keep at least one month if kept in the fridge
