Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter

At Christmas time, the traditional cake or pudding is very popular. And many indulge in the fruity, sweet and yummy favourite without remorse.

Christmas cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. Then people ate the porridge on Christmas Eve, using it to line their stomachs after a day of fasting. Soon dried fruit, spices and honey were added to the porridge mixture, and eventually it turned into Christmas pudding.

By the 16th century, oatmeal was removed from the original recipe and butter, wheat, flour and eggs were added. These ingredients helped hold the mixture together and resulted in a boiled plum cake. Richer families who had ovens began making fruit cakes with marzipan, an almond sugar paste, for Easter. For Christmas, they made a similar cake using seasonal dried fruit and spices. The spices represented the exotic Eastern spices brought by the Wise Men. This cake became known as 'Christmas cake.'

In modern times, Christmas cakes are made in many variations. They can be light, dark, spongy or heavy. Also, most people add plenty of wine and rum to add flavour. And, speaking of wine, it's 25 days to go before Christmas and your fruits should have already been soaking in their bath of rum and wine. If not, it is time to get cracking!

Christmas Pudding

To make approximately 8 lb of mixture (enough to fill two nine-inch baking tins), you will need:

1lb. butter

1lb. brown or granulated sugar

2-3 tbs. browning

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond flavouring

2 tsp. lime juice

2 tsp. lime or orange rind

12 eggs

8 cups mixed fruits (raisins, currants,

prunes, citron, and cherries)

12oz. breadcrumbs

12 oz. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¹/² tsp. salt

2 tbs. mixed spice

1 cup rum

1 pint port wine or brandy optional

1 cup chopped nuts (not peanuts) optional

METHOD

1. Line sides of baking tin with two thick pieces of grease paper and the bottom with one sheet grease paper.

2. Grease paper with shortening

3. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Mix in browning, vanilla and almond flavouring, lime juice and rind.

5. Add eggs one at a time and beat in well. Add soaked fruit, cherries, and nuts.

6. Mix breadcrumbs, flour, baking powder, mixed spice and salt.

7. Add alternately with rum and port wine.

8. Pour into prepared baking tins or steaming basins three quarters full.

9. Cover and make steaming basin watertight.

10. Place in steamer or put over boiling water.

11. Continue to add boiling water until pudding steams, approximately three and a half hours. Cooking time varies with size of container.

Christmas Cake

Ingredients same as Christmas pudding, however, less fruits should be added to the cake. The difference is in the preparation. The Christmas pudding is boiled or steamed while the cake is baked.

Method

Same as Christmas pudding except:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Pour mixture into greased tin and bake for two - two and a half hours or until skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

NOTE: The texture of the cake should be lighter than that of the pudding.

SOURCE: www.fashion-era.com /Christmas/christmas_food_ cake_recipe