and Happy Thanksgiving to all friends from the USA
"Cake is coming!" has been a favourite phrase in our family since Rosie was just 2½. I thought about it yesterday when I made our Christmas Cake. This year it is half the size of my previous ones. There will be fewer people around to eat it and Bob and I don't want to be eating it till March [or 'pigging out' with daily slices, to get it eaten quicker] I discovered that quantities in my Good Housekeeping recipe will halve neatly to make a cake in my 6"[15cm] round tin.
I am very traditional when it comes to making the cake - using the method I have used since the 1970s.
- My Mason Cash bowl came from Steph
- and my red bowl from SIL Denise
- The 6" tin was Mum's
- No brandy, just a tbsp cold tea, for my teetotal forbears
- I put in a grated carrot- like Nan and Mum [and Marguerite Patten] always did. This year a home grown carrot!
In 1990 I bought a panel of fabric which was printed with two Christmas Aprons. I sewed them both up - and kept one for myself and sent one to Gillian. For the last 30 years I've always worn mine when [right] making my Christmas cake. But this year, I wore Gillian's.[left]
If you are looking for inspiration, can I recommend Carolyn's recent post at The 1940s Experiment? She has got some wonderful wartime Christmas recipes there, which will certainly eke out your budget if you don't want to spend a fortune on ingredients.
Now I have to plan how I am going to ice this smaller cake.
I haven't made a Christmas cake since my mother died; my daughter doesn't like the taste and I don't want to make one for just myself. We've substituted our Love cake, instead. :)
ReplyDeleteLove cake sounds great!
DeleteOoh, I had to scroll for a while to find this box!
ReplyDeleteWell done for adapting! I've never made one since I don't like Fruit Cake. Maybe I should learn for CBC but I'm not sure he's overly bothered.x
Don't know where the big space came from - I've removed it now! If it's only CBC who eats it, I shouldn't bother!
DeleteI don't bake my own Christmas cake but I'm making my fourth batch of Christmas puddings. I seem to have got an informal co-operative where one cousin makes me sausage rolls, another piccalilli, another mice pies and so on. It works well
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds like a good arrangement
DeleteI was enjoying your post until I got to the bit about cold rice pudding being good - then I felt quite ill!!
ReplyDeleteLove the special Christmas cake aprons
Sorry! I love milk puddings in all forms...
DeleteI'm not making a Christmas Cake this year, although I do like them. If I go to Clermont, I might buy a small one in the Irish shop, if they have one, but I'm not overly bothered. I should try to make mincemeat though...we do like our mince pies! Fat Dormouse xx
ReplyDeleteI remember reading about an English woman who was driving to France to spend Christmas at her 2nd home. She took the ingredients for her cake, planning to back it there. She was stopped at customs and they confiscated the block of marzipan because they thought it was Semtex
DeleteNot fruitcake eaters in this family so never had to make a Xmas cake. My Nana used to put sixpences wrapped in baking parchment in her Xmas puddings. Love marzipan and icing!
ReplyDeleteI was always scared I'd swallow the 6d
Delete[or worse, break a tooth] if it turned up in my portion, I've never put money in my puds!
I don't make Christmas cake now. Over 10 years ago when we were living in Europe I made one substituting ingredients for those that were absent and it turned out fairly well.
ReplyDeleteSubstitution is a bit hit or miss, so I'm glad it worked
DeleteI have never made a Christmas cake, I just don't like them enough to want to bother, even Alan is not that keen really, phew!!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that you wore Gillian's apron. The beauty of having things that you use regularly in the house that were gifted from or left to you by other people, is that it feels as though they are with you while you work, and at this time of year that is even more special. xx
Yes, I could imagine Gillian laughing with me and joking about
DeleteI love Christmas cake and quite enjoy the ritual of making it but this year 2 of my sisters are coming for Christmas and one of them is bringing the cake ( Delia golden version) I do need the make mincemeat though as I have dozens of mince pies to make, hoping to freeze them to avoid stress!
ReplyDeleteI love your memories associated with your kitchen equipment.
Alison in Wales x
We don't do mincemeat as Bob doesn't like it. But there are usually plenty of m pies for me to enjoy at church events
DeleteHa ha! An early birthday cake, coffee and walnut too! was delivered to me by a friend just before lunch. Guess what we had for pudding.!
ReplyDeleteOoh lovely
DeleteSuch a great post Angela! Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for the shout out! C xxx
ReplyDelete👍👍👍❤️
DeleteI made my Christmas cake last month and iced it this week. It is now waiting to be decorated. I spent an hour differing over a variety of different shaped and sizes of tins before I began. Did I want a small cake or a large one? In the end I did both. One for Christmas and the other for my son's 30th birthday which is two weeks before Christmas. Not sure who will get the large one yet! We all love a rich fruit cake in our family. We now have to convert my future daughter in law and persuade her that a fruit cake would be better then a chocolate cake for the wedding.
ReplyDeleteAt the Scottish wedding the three layers were sponge, chocolate and fruit
DeleteAt the Scottish wedding the three layers were sponge, chocolate and fruit
DeleteI don't make Christmas cakes anymore as only OH and DIL liked it and I was always left with lots. I now have a baking day making mince pies and gingerbread people with granddaughter who is the same age as your Rosie. Gill Xx
ReplyDeleteOh enjoy the baking !!
DeleteI love fruit cake but my family, not so much. About 8 years ago I made a Lemon Extract Cake that uses the candied fruit and is delicious. MTh The recipe makes two cakes if you back in loaf pans and my family loves it!
ReplyDeleteHugs!
I like Lemon Drizzle but rarely make it
DeleteA lemon cake with candied fruit sounds wonderful......must look that one up!
DeleteSounds like a recipe you would enjoy, Jean
Delete