Hello everyone!I can't Believe it!It's finally the 1st December and the start of my Christmas and Holiday Count Down!And we have the perfect pup and kitty to kick start the count down,with Hanukkah starting soon who better that Dakota and Cody and they are bridging the holidays by bringing together the spirit of Hanukkah and Christmas in this Great Photo!
So pay them a visit to their blogs via the links above!
Now Things are getting Christmassy here at the House of Speedy with Mum just needing to do the final finishing touches to the decorations and she will soon be decorating her famous Christmas Cake with the big reveal and of course you'll be wanting the recipe for that so here it is.....
Here's the Recipe:
350g/12oz self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
100g/4oz ground almonds
500g/18oz mixed dried fruit with peel
100g/4oz dried cranberries
100g/4oz of halved cherries
100g/4oz chopped nuts
4 eggs beaten this year I used Free range Duck eggs
6 tbs milk
2 tbs brandy or rum-I used Cuban Rum
225g/8oz butter
10g/4 oz Caster sugar
100g/4 oz of dark brown sugar
1.Sift the flour with the mixed spice the mix in the ground almonds.
2.Clean the dried fruit in a separate bowl.
3.In another bowl stir the beaten eggs ,milk and brand together.
4.In a large bowl cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy,then stir in the flour a bit at a time with some of the egg mixture until all the ingredients combine to form a smooth batter.
5.Gradually stir in all the dried fruit and cherries and nuts,mix thoroughly.
6.Spoon in the mixture into a 20-22cm/8 inch cake tin which has been lined with greaseproof paper.
7.Preheat oven to 160c/325f/gas mark 3 bake for 1 hour then reduce heat to 150c/300f/gas mark 1-2 and continue to bake for another 3 hours.For Fan assisted ovens bake at 160c for 45 mins and 2 hours at 150 c.
The secret is then once cooled pour small amounts of the brandy or Rum onto the top of the cake for three days then turn the cake upside down and do this for another three days keep wrapped in foil whilst "feeding the cake" with rum or brandy this process can be repeated over a couple of weeks.Then place the cake on to a cake board marzipan the cake then use royal icing or fondant "ready roll" icing to decorate the cake and add other cake decorations to your hearts content leave to set for Christmas!
This what it should look like once it's baked and for those that need a gluten free version mum found this great Jamie Oliver Recipe for you too!
Mickey the Hedgehog is still doing his thing of sleeping a couple of nights and then chowing down for a couple of nights so he's still not quite ready for his winter sleep but it won't be long now!
And Marvelous made his mum made me this great Christmas Graphic so you'll be seeing a lot of this one!
And we will start revealing our Christmas house once mum has finished decorating with the final touches!
Now don't forget there is plenty of time to enter my Count down by sending your photo's of you and you decorations to [email protected] or by posting them straight to my Facebook event here! All entries will be posted both here and on my Fcaebook event and will run everyday with the final post on Christmas Day!And my Favourite 3 will get a surprise gift after the main day to carry on the holiday spirit.....cause no one wants it to end do they?
Now Things are getting Christmassy here at the House of Speedy with Mum just needing to do the final finishing touches to the decorations and she will soon be decorating her famous Christmas Cake with the big reveal and of course you'll be wanting the recipe for that so here it is.....
Here's the Recipe:
350g/12oz self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
100g/4oz ground almonds
500g/18oz mixed dried fruit with peel
100g/4oz dried cranberries
100g/4oz of halved cherries
100g/4oz chopped nuts
4 eggs beaten this year I used Free range Duck eggs
6 tbs milk
2 tbs brandy or rum-I used Cuban Rum
225g/8oz butter
10g/4 oz Caster sugar
100g/4 oz of dark brown sugar
1.Sift the flour with the mixed spice the mix in the ground almonds.
2.Clean the dried fruit in a separate bowl.
3.In another bowl stir the beaten eggs ,milk and brand together.
4.In a large bowl cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy,then stir in the flour a bit at a time with some of the egg mixture until all the ingredients combine to form a smooth batter.
5.Gradually stir in all the dried fruit and cherries and nuts,mix thoroughly.
6.Spoon in the mixture into a 20-22cm/8 inch cake tin which has been lined with greaseproof paper.
7.Preheat oven to 160c/325f/gas mark 3 bake for 1 hour then reduce heat to 150c/300f/gas mark 1-2 and continue to bake for another 3 hours.For Fan assisted ovens bake at 160c for 45 mins and 2 hours at 150 c.
The secret is then once cooled pour small amounts of the brandy or Rum onto the top of the cake for three days then turn the cake upside down and do this for another three days keep wrapped in foil whilst "feeding the cake" with rum or brandy this process can be repeated over a couple of weeks.Then place the cake on to a cake board marzipan the cake then use royal icing or fondant "ready roll" icing to decorate the cake and add other cake decorations to your hearts content leave to set for Christmas!
Mickey the Hedgehog is still doing his thing of sleeping a couple of nights and then chowing down for a couple of nights so he's still not quite ready for his winter sleep but it won't be long now!
And Marvelous made his mum made me this great Christmas Graphic so you'll be seeing a lot of this one!
And we will start revealing our Christmas house once mum has finished decorating with the final touches!
Now don't forget there is plenty of time to enter my Count down by sending your photo's of you and you decorations to [email protected] or by posting them straight to my Facebook event here! All entries will be posted both here and on my Fcaebook event and will run everyday with the final post on Christmas Day!And my Favourite 3 will get a surprise gift after the main day to carry on the holiday spirit.....cause no one wants it to end do they?
My momma are gonna be decorating a ton tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteMy human thinks this cake sounds SO good! She loves cakes with alcoholic beverages mixed in.
ReplyDeleteSanta Speedy! teeeeheee....I love this graphic of YOU! And what a lovely recipe; I need to try something like this since I have a lot of castor sugar that I purchased last year. I was following a Mary Berry recipe from the UK that called for it, something we typically don't see here, but I found it! Enjoy the countdown dear ones!
ReplyDeleteCody and Dakota are cuties Thanks for the recipe. XO
ReplyDeleteThanks, Speedy! That cake looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteWe love the yummy sparkly season Speedy!
ReplyDeleteWoooo hooo! We are honored to help you kick off the season!!!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteHappy December! Gosh that cake looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteWe love Cody and Dakota's card. That cake looks Dee-licous!
ReplyDeleteHere we go! (Send the cake!)
ReplyDeleteOh yeah. My holiday recipe. Take 2 eggs and sit on them so they hatch. While doing that, take a bottle of bourbon and you know what to do with that. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful start to the Holiday season with Dakota and Cody! We are just starting to spruce up our house too!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Rosy, Arty & Jakey
Aunty Rachel LadyMum started droolin when shee saw yur cake!! Mew mew mew...
ReplyDeleteAn Speedy wee are happy Mickey iss doin well an spendin thee Winter with youss!
**Hi-5'sss** Siddhartha Henry =^,.^=