Yes, it's that time again - my old-fashioned (labour-intensive) Christmas cake

I wasn't going to bake a Christmas cake this year, as I would just be hauling it to Durham over land and sea at Christmas.  But Christmas cakes are a well-established and essential element of the Taylor-Tyler Christmas experience, not to mention my family's Geordie/Scots tradition of giving visitors their 'New Year drink' accompanied by a slice of home-made Christmas cake when they first visit your house in the New Year and give the New Year toast of "Health, wealth and happiness - here's wishing you all the best!"

So, today, armed with my Old-fashioned Christmas cake recipe from a 1970s magazine (they said then that it was a much older recipe) I set off on the journey.  Even though I've been using this recipe since the late 70s, every time I make it, it is a new experience, and I manage to forget every year what size cake tin I used previously, how I calculated amounts of necessary ingredients dependent on tin size(s), how I calculated variable cooking times.

The recipe states that preparation time is 30 minutes - huh!  We don't have any labour-saving gadgets like food processors, more's the pity, but can say we appreciate life in a Downton Abbey type of kitchen, but unfortunately without the essential staff (can't get them these days). The problem is when you have to mix large quantities of butter and sugar - to arrive at a white colour - never managed that - stone, then chop a kilo of dried prunes,  add and mix with a kilo of sultanas, plus almonds, beat eight eggs - all to be mixed by hand, then that preparation time of 30 minutes needs to be trebled.  The process included  calculations by the scientist/mathematician in the household on cubic capacities of cake and other kitchen containers to make sure I had got it right.  

I also made the mistake of measuring out double quantities from my recipe, then realising that no way would they all fit in one mixing bowl, and would they fit in the tins we had organised?  I then had to divide everything with the added complication of being 'down' on some ingredients, therefore having to substitute with others.  Anyway, I need to acknowledge here that I was ably assisted by Harry who did lots of enthusiastic stirring and mixing, and the cakes are now almost there.  

I am happy to report that the smaller cake (which will probably travel the 800 miles to Durham and beyond) is now cooling happily and the larger cake is just about ready and both will receive their first dose of brandy or armagnac later as we're out of brandy I believe.

(The old-fashioned bit of the recipe apparently is the inclusion of the prunes, which were used in cakes before raisins and sultanas and glace cherries became so popular.  Please feel free to ask for the recipe and to ask for a taste when we see you!)



© Marie Tyler, 2014