WOMEN'S WORLD

A CAKE FOR CHRISTMAS A NEWCOMER TO TRADITIONAL FOOD An iced cake seems an integral part of the food prepared for Christmas. Foods pictured as belonging to the traditional British Christmas are usually turkey, with attendant stuffings, plum pudding regally ablaze, and crowned with holly, mince pies and a large decorative iced fruit cake. Strangely enough, although there is tradition relating to much of this type of food, the Christmas cake is a relative newcomer; it appears to owe its existence to the need at holiday time for a cake that keeps well, cuts well, and fits in with the general pattern of rich foods. Christmas cake probably came into being as the necessary standby for the housewife harassed by unexpected holiday visitors, and is a cake equally suitable to serve with a glass of wine or a cup of tea. RECIPE FOR A CAKE This cake is best made a few weeks before it is needed, but is sufficiently versatile to eat well after only a few days to mature. Cream 9 ozs butter with 8 ozs sugar (4 ozs white and 4 ozs brown); beat 5–6 eggs, depending on size. Combine as boiling water starch and cool ½ oz cornflour, ¼ pint (5 ozs) water. Grate the rind and squeeze the juice from 1 lemon, 1 small orange. Prepare in the usual way, clean, dry and cut up. 3 lbs cake fruit, e.g. 1 lb sultanas, 1 lb currants, ½ lb raisins, ¼ lb peel, ¼ lb glace cherries. Sift together 12 ozs flour, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, 1 teaspoon cocoa, pinch salt. Chop up (blanch if necessary) ¼ lb walnuts or almonds. Beat the eggs gradually into the butter sugar mixture, then fold in the flour mixture. Stir in the starch paste, fruit juices and rind and a few drops of almond essence (if almonds are omitted). Last of all add fruit and nuts. Bake this mixture in a 10–12 in. tin lined with brown paper and greaseproof paper for five hours. The oven temperature should be 300 deg. F. reduced to 250 deg. F. after the first hour. The addition of brandy or rum to the cake improves the flavour and keeping qualities. The best way to add spirits is to prick the cake with a fine steel knitting needle after it is cooked and cooled, and pour the spirits over: two or three tablespoonsful are sufficient for the averaged size cake. Adding brandy or rum to the cake mixture before baking is not economic; alcohol is volatile and so lost during cooking. FINISHING THE CAKE Almond paste and royal icing is the accepted finish for a rich fruit cake, although recently plastic icing has become very popular. Plastic icing has the advantage that it can be put straight on to the cake, whereas when royal icing is used the cake must have a coating of almond paste to prevent crumbs from the outside of the cake lifting and getting into the icing. Nothing can take the place of almond paste made with ground almonds with regard to texture or flavour, but there are a number of substitute almond pastes that are less expensive to make. An almond flavoured plastic icing can be used, or a substitute paste made from soya bean flour, cake crumbs or even semolina! The almond paste must be attached to the cake; the usual way to do this is to brush the outside of the cake with warmed sieved apricot jam or marmalade, or with egg white; plastic icing also needs sticking to the cake and egg white is used for this. ALMOND PASTE Mix together ½ lb ground almonds, ½ lb icing or caster sugar (or ½ lb of each, i.e. 1 lb sugar for a sweeter and more economical paste). Work to a firm dough with 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 1 teaspoon almond essence, juice of ½ lemon, 1–2 eggs or 3 egg yolks. Knead well. Roll out using icing sugar to prevent the paste sticking. PLASTIC ICING Sift 1 lb icing sugar into warmed basin; mix to a firm dough with 1 egg white, 4 ozs warmed liquid glucose. Knead icing well; it helps if the basin is kept standing in warm water. This type of icing is rolled out using sifted icing sugar to prevent it sticking. Cornflour on the hands makes handling the icing easier. This icing is rolled and cut to the shape of the cake on the board, the pieces are then lifted and pressed into position, as with almond paste. ROYAL ICING This is the nicest of icings when well made. Many criticise that it hardens too much, but this