Name: Celebration christmas cakes
Cook time: 210 min
Total time: 210 min
Yield: 40
Ingredients: 3 cup (500g) sultanas; 1 3/4 cup (300g) raisins; 1 3/4 cup (300g) seeded dried dates; 1 cup (150g) dried currants; 1/4 cup (40g) mixed orange; 2/3 cup (130g) red glacé cherries; 1/4 cup (55g) glacé ginger; 1/4 cup (60g) dried apricots; 1/2 cup (125ml) orange-flavoured liqueur; 250 gram (8 ounces) butter, softened; 1 cup (220g) firmly packed light brown sugar; 5 eggs; 1 1/2 cup (225g) plain (all-purpose) flour; 1/3 cup (50g) self-raising flour; 1 teaspoon mixed spice; 2 tablespoon orange-flavoured liqueur, extra; 1 kilogram (2 pounds) ready-made white icing; 1 egg white; 1/2 cup (80g) icing (confectioners') sugar decorations; 60 gram (2 ounces) jar silver cachous; 1.5 (m)(5 feet) ribbon craft glue

Ingredients

3 cup (500g) sultanas

1 3/4 cup (300g) raisins

1 3/4 cup (300g) seeded dried dates

1 cup (150g) dried currants

1/4 cup (40g) mixed orange

2/3 cup (130g) red glacé cherries

1/4 cup (55g) glacé ginger

1/4 cup (60g) dried apricots

1/2 cup (125ml) orange-flavoured liqueur

250 gram (8 ounces) butter, softened

1 cup (220g) firmly packed light brown sugar

5 eggs

1 1/2 cup (225g) plain (all-purpose) flour

1/3 cup (50g) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon mixed spice

2 tablespoon orange-flavoured liqueur, extra

1 kilogram (2 pounds) ready-made white icing

1 egg white

1/2 cup (80g) icing (confectioners') sugar decorations

60 gram (2 ounces) jar silver cachous

1.5 (m)(5 feet) ribbon craft glue

Method

1.Chop all fruit the same size as sultanas. Combine fruit and liqueur in large bowl; cover with plastic wrap, stand overnight

2.Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F. Line two deep 15cm (6-inch) square cake pans with three thicknesses of baking paper, extending paper 5cm (2-inches) above sides of pans

3.Beat butter and brown sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until combined; beat in eggs, one at a time. Add butter mixture to fruit mixture; mix well. Stir in sifted flours and spice; divide mixture between pans

4.Bake cakes about 2 hours. Brush hot cakes with extra liqueur. Cover hot cakes in pan tightly with foil, turn upside down, on bench; cool cakes overnight

5.Trim tops of cakes, if necessary, to make flat. Mix a walnut-sized piece of the ready-made white icing with enough cold boiled water to make a sticky paste. Spread half of this mixture into the centre of a sheet of baking paper about 5cm (2-inches) larger than the cake; position cake, flat-side down, on paper. Repeat with second cake

6.Using a metal spatula and small pieces of white icing, patch any holes in the cakes

7.Preparing one cake at a time, brush egg white evenly over cake. Knead half the remaining white icing on surface dusted with the sifted icing sugar until smooth; roll into 7mm (½-inch) thickness. Lift icing onto cake with rolling pin, smoothing icing over cake with hands dusted with icing sugar. Cut excess icing away from base of cake

8.Mix icing scraps with cold boiled water to make a sticky paste. Spread half the paste in the centre of a cake board; centre cake on board. Cut away excess baking paper around base of cake

9.Gently push a 6cm (2¼-inch) bell-shaped cutter into icing in centre of cake. Using a small sharp knife carefully remove the icing inside the bell shape. Carefully fill bell shape with cachous

10.Decorate the cake base with a ribbon, securing ends with craft glue. Stand overnight until firm

11.Repeat with the second cake

Macerate the fruit and liqueur for up to a month if time permits. Stir the fruit mixture each week
Note

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