English Christmas Cake with Ilex leaves

Name: English Christmas Cake with Ilex leaves
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 24
Ingredients: 100 g Almond kernels without skin; 550 g mixed dried fruit (e.g. apricots, figs, plums, ); 5 TABLESPOONS + 175 g flour; 250 g Sultanas; 250 g Butter; 250 g dark brown Muscovado sugar; 4 Eggs (size M); 2 TEASPOONS Gingerbread spice; 50 g crushed almonds; 10-11 TABLESPOONS Brandy; 2-3 TABLESPOONS Apricot Jam; 1 (300 g) Fine marzipan blanket, ready rolled out; 500–600 g white fondant to roll out; 25 g Icing sugar; 1 TEASPOON Lemon juice; 7-10 Tbsp green and red food colouring; 7-10 Tbsp Icing sugar; 7-10 Tbsp Grease; baking paper; 7-10 Tbsp Cling film; 7-10 Tbsp Aluminium foil; 7-10 Tbsp Disposable piping bag

AUTHOR
Valentine Lee

DIFFICULTY
very easy

RATING

COOK TIME
240 mins

TOTAL TIME
240 mins

Ingredients

Servings: 24

100 g Almond kernels without skin
550 g mixed dried fruit (e.g. apricots, figs, plums, )
5 TABLESPOONS + 175 g flour
250 g Sultanas
250 g Butter
250 g dark brown Muscovado sugar
4 Eggs (size M)
2 TEASPOONS Gingerbread spice
50 g crushed almonds
10-11 TABLESPOONS Brandy
2-3 TABLESPOONS Apricot Jam
1 (300 g) Fine marzipan blanket, ready rolled out
500–600 g white fondant to roll out
25 g Icing sugar
1 TEASPOON Lemon juice
7-10 Tbsp green and red food colouring
7-10 Tbsp Icing sugar
7-10 Tbsp Grease
baking paper
7-10 Tbsp Cling film
7-10 Tbsp Aluminium foil
7-10 Tbsp Disposable piping bag

Directions

1
Lightly grease an English cake tin (21.5 cm Ø/ height approx. 10 cm, capacity approx. 3 1/4 litres) or a springform pan (22 cm Ø) with a high rim. Line the bottom and edge of the tin with baking paper
2
Roast the almonds in a pan without fat, take them out and let them cool down. Coarsely chop the almonds. Dice the dried fruit. Mix 1 tbsp. flour, dried fruit, sultanas and candied fruit in a bowl with your hands to loosen fruit lumps. Mix in roasted almonds
3
Melt the butter lightly, place in a large bowl and whisk until creamy for about 4 minutes with the whisk of the hand mixer. Add sugar and beat the mixture for another 4 minutes. Mix in the eggs with 1 tbsp. flour one after the other. Mix the remaining flour, gingerbread spice and ground almonds and stir in. Finally mix in the fruit mixture and 5 tbsp. brandy
4
Put the dough into the mould and smooth it down. Lightly tap the mould on the work surface to close any air bubbles. In the middle of the cake, make a hollow in the dough so that the cake keeps a flat surface. Place the mould on an oven rack and bake in the preheated oven, 2nd shelf from below (electric oven: 150 °C/ circulating air: 125 °C/ gas: see manufacturer) for approx. 2 hours. Let the finished cake cool in the mould on a cake rack for approx. 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the tin and the baking paper and let it cool down on a cake rack
5
Prick the bottom and surface of the cake several times with a stick. Pour the rest of the brandy, except 1-2 tbsp., first into the holes in the bottom, then into the holes on the top. Place the cake on a plate. When the brandy is absorbed, wrap the cake tightly in cling film and aluminium foil and store in a cool, dry place for at least 1 month
6
Remove the foil and place the cake on a flat plate with the base facing upwards. Heat the jam in a pot and pass through a sieve. Spread the cake with it all around
7
Remove the marzipan cover from the package, place it over the cake according to the package instructions, smooth it down and press it down well. Cut off excess marzipan all around with a knife. The lower edge of the marzipan should form a straight line at the bottom. If the cake does not lie flat on the plate, press some marzipan from the edge into the gaps. Leave the cake in a cool, dry place for another 24 hours so that the marzipan can dry.
8
Brush marzipan with the remaining brandy. Knead the fondant until smooth, and roll it out on a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar to a plate (38-40 cm Ø). Place on the cake in the same way as the marzipan cover, smooth with your hands and press down well. Cut off any excess fondant, knead again and wrap in foil. Tie red ribbon around the cake
9
Mix 25 g icing sugar and lemon juice to a thick icing and place in a piping bag. Colour the rest of the fondant green, except for a good walnut-sized piece. Roll out fondant 2-3 mm thin. Cut out holly leaves (approx. 3 cm long, 1.8 cm wide) using a cookie cutter and leave to dry for a few hours. Bend some leaves slightly or place them over a stirring spoon handle. Colour the remaining fondant red and form small balls/ berries for the holly leaves. Leave to dry as well. Stick the leaves and red berries on the cake with icing
10
waiting time approx. 1 month + 36 hours