I am sure my love's more richer than my tongue…
said Cordelia in King Lear. I wonder if she had a sweet tooth?
Mind you, her father had odd ideas about sweetness…
Give me an ounce of civet, good apothecary, to sweeten my imagination.
I just fell to wondering about all this because I am about to make my Christmas cake – using this bag of sugar from my sister in law
[it’s from Lidl. My usual brand is Sainsbury's own brand, which is fair trade] I have yet to decide how to ice my cake. Waitrose are selling one like this
It is £20 – and looks like half a round cake stuck up on its straight edge. I do like the idea – especially as I already have those same figures [purchased in Lakeland’s flagship store in Windermere in October 08 in my extravagant pre-mortgage days]
Last year they did the same cake but with different coloured icing.
The problem with any of these celebration cakes is that they look fabulous until you start cutting into them!
I don’t find black icing very appetising though!
![clip_image002[9]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-fZ8E3AurH3Iq8AkX703-v9mKS-oHUAr_lme5fiFrdlyiLAHtMDlmimpJLmM7bMQs2WX1wD3y1IKwURzByXEbvXuRQ_ZF2kJ7hAThQ9xScn3i091ALLlf_gusCHFWWkCoFPDOE3JAkYD/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B9%25255D%25255B5%25255D.gif "clip_image002[9]")
Then I thought “If I did make this style of cake, what do I do with the other half ?” The Waitrose one appears to be just on a sheet of fondant icing.
If I cut the cake one third/two thirds, I could put the smaller piece on top of the other section, giving M& J a ‘stage’ to stand on.
Perhaps I should make a square cake this year, and cut in half and rearrange the pieces into a triangle.
Then I could ice that shape like a stable – star on top, Holy Family in the front, Wise Men lurking at the side…
Does it matter?
Will anyone notice?
What does everyone else do?
Please don’t say “Buy it from the Supermarket” – in the last 33 years I have only done that once – and it tasted dreadful!
I made mine last weekend, when I was over with my dad. We're going to spend Christmas with him so I decided to cook my usual pud, mincemeat and mince pies (in his freezer now), and then to bake the cake, even though Ben usually does that. I followed his traditional recipe and it's come out quite well. However, I'll leave it up to him to decorate it. He tries something different every year - wise men, gingerbread figures, penguins, stars (on dark blue - all our mouths turned blue!) He's always on the lookout for new ideas, so thanks for the photos!
ReplyDeleteSorry Angela, I can't be of any assistance. I make a fat-free fruit cake , and don't cover it with anything as I can't stand marzipan or icing!
ReplyDeletehttp://fraiselachrymose.blogspot.com/2010/12/pausing-on-fourth-sunday-in-advent.html
ReplyDeleteI did this last year and think it could be this again. I'm not here by the way- not at this time of night!!
Hmmm. I'm confused. Does fruitcake taste good? When do you eat it? Does it get all spicy and juicy from the rum or what? I have no background knowledge when it comes to fruitcake. I think I read Martha Stewart's fruitcake stories at one point, but I just don't understand how fruitcake works. Please explain, teacher.
ReplyDeleteI always make my own, although I don't do one every year. I alter the recipe quite a bit though - I don't like raisins, sultanas, mixed peel or cherries - so I replace with dates, figs, dried apricots, dried pear, dried cranberry or whatever other assortment of dried fruit I can find.
ReplyDeleteMy icing tends towards the ready roll with ribbon and a flower.