A superb recipe, which is sort of 100 years outdated – the 1920’s BeRo Christmas Cake was first shared within the third version
A Easy however Conventional Christmas Cake
A superb recipe, which is sort of 100 years outdated – the 1920’s BeRo Christmas Cake was first shared within the third version of those little cookery books.
The Be Ro third version was printed in 1925, together with directions tips on how to make almond icing (marzipan) and basic Royal icing too.
My maternal grandmother used to make it, with just a few amendements. She despatched the recipe to my mom, and it was the one Christmas cake I ever knew.
You may make this cake in both a spherical cake tin, or a sqaure cake tin like my mom used to make hers in.
In truth, I used my later mom’s sq. cake tin for my cake this 12 months (2023), as you possibly can see by among the the photographs I’ve shared.
Earlier than I share the recipe, I’d additionally wish to share my ideas as I made this Christmas cake, not only for final 12 months, however this 12 months too.
I hope you take pleasure in this straightforward, wealthy fruit cake as we have now performed during the last 40 years, and my dad and mom and grandparents earlier than that.
No posh photographs, snapped shortly within the kitchen . Making my Christmas muffins as we speak, and the identical phrases that I wrote final 12 months, nonetheless stand this 12 months…….
…….Whats up mum – I do know you’re not right here anymore, within the earthly sense; however you’re at all times in my coronary heart and my ideas.
Right this moment I’m making your conventional Christmas cake – the one that you simply and nanny made yearly, primarily based on the BeRo recipe.
I’ve measured all of the elements utilizing the outdated salter scales you had, and utilizing the metric weights I purchased you to your birthday, since you hated making an attempt to transform lbs and ozs to grams.
I’ve creamed the sugar and butter collectively for at the very least 5 minutes as you taught me to do – till mild and fluffy.
I’ve added the flour and eggs little by little, so the combination doesn’t curdle – listening to your voice telling me to not be too impatient.
The brandy soaked dried fruit has been added, and gosh, it smells good.
The cake tin has been triple lined and is prepared for the fruity batter to be tipped in – I can’t wait to lick the spoon and scrape out the bowl.
I’ve made positive that the center of the cake is barely decrease than the skin of the cake – so it would rise in an excellent method……I may virtually really feel your presence as I licked the picket spoon afterwords!
There’s a bit “tester” cake too – identical to you used to do mum; it’s in an outdated Fray Bentos pie tin lined with butter paper – identical to you you used to do. We’ll have that for our Sunday tea tray supper. I can’t wait.
The muffins are within the oven now, and the home in infused with the odor of brandy, citrus and spice – it’s identical to I bear in mind after I was little at dwelling……the reminiscences come flooding again.
I miss you mum – daily – however I’m comfortable and content material to observe in your culinary footsteps, to maintain the traditions going, and I’ll be sure that Hannah does too.
Extra Christmas & Thanksgiving Recipes
Recipe for 1920’s BeRo Christmas Cake
1920’s BeRo Christmas Cake
Yield:
16 slices
Prep Time:
45 minutes
Cook dinner Time:
4 hours
Whole Time:
4 hours 45 minutes
A superb recipe, which is sort of 100 years outdated – the 1920’s BeRo Christmas Cake was first shared within the third version of those little cookery books.
The third version was printed in 1925, together with directions tips on how to make almond icing (marzipan) and basic Royal icing too.
My maternal grandmother used to make it, with just a few amendements. She despatched the recipe to my mom, and it was the one Christmas cake I ever knew.
You may make this cake in both a spherical cake tin, or a sqaure cake tin like my mom used to make hers in.
In truth, I used my later mom’s sq. cake tin for my cake this 12 months (2023), as you possibly can see by among the the photographs I’ve shared.
I hope you take pleasure in this straightforward, wealthy fruit cake as we have now performed during the last 40 years, and my dad and mom and grandparents earlier than that.
Components
- 12 ozs BeRo Self Elevating Flour
- 1 teaspoon blended spice
- 4 ozs floor almonds
- 8ozs currants
- 8ozs sultanas
- 8ozs raisins
- 4ozs glace cherries
- 4ozs blended citrus peel
- 8ozs butter
- 8ozs caster sugar
- 4 eggs, overwhelmed with
- 8 tablespoons milk
Directions
- Combine the fruit.
- Combine flour, spice, floor almonds.
- Beat butter and sugar to a cream in a heat bowl.
- Beat eggs and milk collectively.
- Stir in (alternately, a bit at a time) the flour combination and eggs and milk, with the butter and sugar.
- Add the fruit final.
- MIX THOROUGHLY. If a darker cake is desired, add 1 teaspoon gravy browning.
- Use a big spherical cake tin (8″ in diameter) lined wirth greased paper.
- Bake about FOUR HOURS, the primary hour in a average oven (325F to 350F, Gasoline Mark 3-4) after which a gradual oven (250F to 300F, Gasoline Mark 1-2)
Notes
We by no means used Gravy Browning, as proven in step 7. Use 1 tablespoon of black treacle for a darker cake.
Oven temperatures in Celius: 160C to 170C and 120C to 150C, in step 9.
For a darker and richer cake, use tender brown sugar as an alternative of caster sugar.
My mom at all times used a sq. tin, which is ok for this recipe.
We have a tendency to make use of a 7″ spherical or sq. tin, and bake a small “tester or taster cake” with the surplus cake batter.
Instead of 8 tablespoons of milk, use 4 tablespoons of milk blended with 4 tablespoons of brandy, whisky or rum.
Enable to chill within the cake tin earlier than lifting out and inserting in a cake tin with a fitted lid. Make a number of holes with a skewer all around the cake and “feed” the cake with brandy (or whisky or rum) – pouring it down the holes. Repeat this each week till simply earlier than you wish to marzipan and ice the cake.
Easy the highest with the again of a metallic spoon and earlier than baking within the pre-heated oven.
Components in METRIC:
225g currants
225g sultanas
225g raisins
100g glace cherries, halved
100g minimize candied peel
350g self-raising white flour, sifted
100g floor almonds
4 giant free-range eggs
75mls brandy blended with 75mls entire milk, OR 150mls milk
225g butter, unsalted
225g sugar
Diet Data
Yield 30
Serving Measurement 1
Quantity Per Serving
Energy 227Whole Fats 9gSaturated Fats 4gTrans Fats 0gUnsaturated Fats 4gLdl cholesterol 41mgSodium 217mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 2gSugar 22gProtein 4g
