Mini Christmas Cakes
Here's my classic Christmas cake converted into mini form! They look so great lined up on a platter to serve at a gathering, and are also ideal for gifting because they have a long shelf life. The cake is beautifully moist, rich with dried fruit, perfumed with Christmas spices
Ingredients
FAST SOAKED FRUIT
- 300 g raisins
- 150 g diced dried apricots chopped 8 mm / 1/3"
- mixed peel diced 5mm / 1/5
- 150 g glace cherries chopped 8 mm / 1/3"
- 180 g dates diced 5mm / 1/5"
- 1 cup apple juice OR 1/3 brandy + 2/3 juice
- CAKE:
- 115 g unsalted butter softened
- 1½ cups brown sugar packed (or dark brown sugar for a darker crumb,
- ½ cup vegetable oil or canola, peanut, grapeseed
- 3 tbsp molasses or golden syrup
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp all spice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 3 eggs
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1⅔ cups plain flour all purpose flour
- ¾ cup walnuts chopped (optional)
- DECORATING
- ▢ Icing sugar for dusting
- ▢ Christmas fondant – see directions here
- CHRISTMAS PUDDING DRIPPY GLAZE
- 1½ ▢ 1 1/2 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp ▢ 1 tbsp / 15g unsalted butter softened
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1½ tbsp milk
Instructions
- FAST SOAKED FRUIT:
- Heat – Place dried fruit and juice/brandy in a large microwavable container. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes on high or until hot.
- Soak – Stir to coat all fruit in liquid. Cover then set aside for 1 hour (to plump up/soak and cool).
- CAKE:
- Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan). Grease and line a 20cm / 8" square cake pan with baking paper / parchment paper, or larger pan to get more cakes out of it. (Note 5 on pan size).
- Beating – Using an electric beater, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute on speed 5). Add oil and molasses, beat until combined. Add salt, spices and baking powder – beat until incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated.
- Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon, then the dried fruit (including all the extra liquid in bowl) and walnuts (if using).
- Pour into the cake pan, it will fill it right to the top (it won't spill over, the cake barely rises). Cover the surface with paper then cover with foil.
- Bake 2 1/2 hours – Bake for 2 hours, remove the foil and paper, then bake for a further 30 minutes. A skewer inserted into middle should come out clean with no batter on it.
- Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Cool completely before cutting.
- Cutting – Trim off the sides (to make them neat). Then cut into 9 squares (or more, if you want). Trim the surface (to make them level as the cake slightly domes). Then flip upside down and decorate the base of the cake.
- DECORATING, GIFTING AND SERVING
- Simple – Dust with icing sugar. That's all this cake needs, it's so full flavoured and moist! Wrap with cellophane and ribbon to gift.
- Ribbon – Wrap and tie a ribbon around each cake. Nice way to present for serving. (Optional to include for gift wrapping too, but then there's a double ribbon situation happening – ie ribbon and cake, ribbon on cellophane!)
- Drippy white glaze – Mix the icing sugar, butter, vanilla and start with 2 tbsp milk. Mix really well (it will take time to come together, be patient). Then adjust thickness using 1/2 tsp milk at a time. BE CAREFUL – it goes from too thick to too thin very easily! Goal: Thick glaze that will ooze "pudding style", as pictured, rather than dripping in long streaks. Spoon onto cake, coaxing it down the sides. Allow to set before wrapping.
- Fondant – See directions in my classic round Christmas Cake.
- Serving – serve with custard for a traditional experience! Either homemade custard or store bought pouring custard.