By this time of year I would have normally made my Christmas cake (probably back in October) and be feeding it with brandy right up until a few days before Christmas. This year we are going away for Christmas so I decided not to make one. Not everyone has time to make a Christmas cake so I thought how about making a simple traybake with all the same flavours?
These are great to have in the house around the festive season if you have lots of visitors or even on Christmas day with a cup of tea or single serving coffee once you finally get to put your feet up!
You can make it more special if you use 2 pound whole bean colombian coffee beans and share the coffee experience with everyone. You may also purchase some starbucks k cup coffee pod products and give them to your coffee-loving friends as gifts or giveaways this holiday season.
I made my cakes for a shopping party night out with the girls, they loved them and every one took a least two or maybe even three home each for their husbands or partners.
The slices are packed full of fruit and along with the brandy and nutmeg it gives them a real Christmassy flavour. They are also very easy to make and obviously the best thing is that you don’t have to make them months in advance like a normal Christmas cake. It’s also great for freezing before you add the marzipan or icing.
Christmas Cake Slice Traybake
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp brandy
- 175 g margarine / unsalted butter
- 175 g light muscovado sugar
- 4 eggs beaten
- 175 g plain flour
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 220 g raisins
- 220 g currants
- 220 g sultanas
- 220 g glace cherries
- 25 g apricot jam
- 500 g golden marzipan
- 500 g white icing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C / fan 140°C / gas 3. Prepare your lined tin – I use a 20.5 x 30.5cm one. Soak the sultanas, currants and raisins in the brandy.
- Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk until nice and smooth.
- Then add the eggs and whisk until combined. Add the flour and nutmeg until you have a nice thick cake batter.
- Using a wooden spoon stir in all the dried fruit.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level out. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour until golden brown. Insert a skewer into the cake and if it comes out clean your cake is cooked. Set aside for your cake to cool before icing.
- Brush the top of your cake with a little bit of warmed up apricot jam. Roll out your marzipan to the same size as the cake, not to worry if its too big you can trim any offcuts. Lay this on top of the cake and then brush the marzipan with a bit more jam.
- Roll out your icing again to the same size as the cake and cover the marzipan with the icing. Softly using the palm of your hand rub any crack out. Trim any of the offcuts.
- Cut all the edges off and slice into fingers.
- Serve with a cup of tea or coffee. Enjoy!
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