Baking for Christmas starts early in our home. There is a family rumour, one which I follow, that your Christmas cakes must be made before Halloween. Now I don't think that this is because cakes made after Halloween will have ghosty and witchiness in them: I think it is so that you have sufficient time to feed your cakes before the big day. Christmas cake makers seem to be split into two distinct camps: those that feed and those that soak. Me, I am a feeder!
I love how the fruit mixes together: and that the cherries look like glistening red jewels...
Mixing everything together, calls for another family tradition: as the fruit is mixed with the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, ground almonds and spice - you make a wish for yourself and for those who will eat the cake. I also follow by this tradition, no-one can have too many wishes...
Cake ready for the oven, calls for (you guessed it) more family tradition. The cake needs to be cooked for one hour for every egg you use. This is genius (though did make my twelve egg wedding cake a bit of an epic) and never fails - so must be followed. The next tradition is a little more unusual, but never-the-less is followed - oh and has never caused anyone to come down with anything nasty as a result of eating the cake. The cake tin should not be washed between cake baking: wipe with a cloth, yes, wash with water and soap out no. The tin I use has been passed down from at least my great-grandmother, as has the cake recipe, and to my knowledge has never washed...
Following all of that you have a beautiful cake, ready for feeding, ready for eating on Christmas day with a good big wedge of cheese...
Yummmmm....
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