I have just posted the following recipe in General so figured some here might be interested - my mother made this many times over the years - its a lovely rich fruit cake.
Condensed Milk Christmas Cake In a large saucepan bring to boil: 250gms butter 1 cup water 1 kg mixed fruit 1 tbsp vinegar 1/2 tsp each of nutmeg, cinnamon, mixed spice.
Take off heat, and add: 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 can sweetened condensed milk. Mix well, leave to cool. (Have to say at this point it tastes beautiful!) When cooled, add: 1 tbsp wine or brandy (optional), 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp each of vanilla, lemon and almond essence (if not using alcohol can add rum or brandy essence as well). Mix well and bake in a deep 7 inch (18cm) tin at 140oC for 2 and 1/2 hours.
My mum believed it was the combination of these essences that also made the cake taste so good. For best results, line the sides of the baking tin with thick cardboard, covered with baking paper. To make a bigger cake, use 1 and 1/2 times the ingredients and bake in a 8 or 9 inch tin for 3 and 1/4 hours. I sometimes make the larger one, once cool, cut into quarters and ice for small gifts.
jess46,
Oct 16, 10:42pm
thanks for that!
buzzy110,
Oct 16, 10:42pm
That is a great cake and so easy to make. There is a similar on in the Nestle's recipe book but yours looks much better by far. The secret is to wait till the hot ingredients are very cool before adding the flour. If you do nothing else right, do this, or you will end up with a gluggy cake.
nauru,
Oct 17, 3:32am
Sounds a great cake. No eggs, is that right or did I miss something. My Mum & Granny always lined their cake tin as normal and thenfolded about 3 layers of newspaper to the same height as the cake tin and wrapped it around the outside of the cake tin and tied it with string.
gardie,
Oct 17, 12:31pm
I tried a condensed milk cake last year as it sounded so delicious.I wasn't too impressed with the 'milkiness' of it though compared to a normal Christmas Cake.I didn't think about the milk/fruit mix at the time - the thought of condensed milk took over in my thinking!
baalamb,
Oct 17, 2:22pm
nauru, no you're right - there are no eggs and no sugar - the condensed milk replaces them.
pickles7,
Oct 17, 2:22pm
Xmas cake. melt 1 tin of sweetened condensed milk, 125 grams of butter, 2 Tblsp golden syrup. mix in another large bowl, 1 and 1/2 KG of mixed fruit with 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon each, nutmeg,cinnamon, mixed spice. now add to that bowl the milk - butter mix, 4 beaten eggs, 1/2 teaspoon each almond, lemon, vanilla, rum essences. lastly add 1/4 cup of milk with 1 teaspoon of baking soda added. Bake 3-4 hours at 125 %c I line my tins with corrugated cardboard, newspaper, finally non stick baking paper.
baalamb,
Oct 17, 2:24pm
gardie - I dont understand what you meant about the 'milkiness'! Did you use 'standard' condensed milk rather than the lite one! My mum only ever used the original type as the lite version didnt exist in the days she started making it.
baalamb,
Oct 17, 2:28pm
The recipes are very similar aren't they pickles - even down to the essences! I wonder if they both originated from the same source! In the very early years of my mother making it, there was also a recipe doing the rounds that used a can of blackcurrant jam instead of the condensed milk. Mum tried it but got something wrong and it turned out very sloppy - tasted nice but became a pudding!
pickles7,
Oct 17, 2:35pm
yes I made my recipe for years. it has the eggs. I cannot help but think somewhere along the way the eggs have been forgotten to be written down. The one with the eggs cuts like butter.
baalamb,
Oct 17, 2:39pm
Ahhh- I didnt notice yours had eggs in it. Mum was given the recipe in approx 1975ish! -from memory I think it was originally titled "Eggless and Sugarless Rich Fruit Cake" - but over the years, in our household became "Mum's Fruit cake"
pickles7,
Oct 17, 2:58pm
White Xmass melt 250 grams of kremelta, pinch of salt.mix 1 cup each of, coconut, skim milk powder, dried fruit, rice bubbles.add 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts. mix the kremelta in with 1 teaspoon of vanilla. set in your fridge. Enough for a swiss roll tin. enjoy
gardie,
Oct 18, 12:12am
A standard christmas or fruit cake does not have any milk in it whatsoever.As soon as the condensed milk went into the cake, it became 'milky' and just didn't seem right for me.Whilst the taste was OK, I prefer a standard fruit cake. Hope that makes sense.
nauru,
Oct 18, 12:34am
Thanks baalamb, will be giving it a try.
petal1955,
Oct 28, 12:13am
Condensed Milk Christmas Cake
In a large saucepan 1/2lb butter (250g) 1 cup of water 2-3lb mixed fruit (1.5kg) 2 tbsp malt vinegar Bring to boil.Cool then add to the saucepan 1 tin of condensed milk (large tin) 1 tsp baking soda 2 tbsp sherry or brandy 1 tsp glycerine (From the supermarket next to the essences – edible Chemists don’t sell edible) When mixed add 2 cups flour and 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp of each mixed spices ground cloves/nutmeg/cinnamon and mixed spice Lemon essence/brandy essence/vanilla essence 2 tbsp custard powder ¼ tsp salt Put in a lined tin bake 1 hour 160 Degrees C Then reduce to 140 degrees C for 1&1/2 hours.
Ice with brandy butter icing.
50grms Butter 100grms sifted icing sugar As much brandy as you like the taste of.
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