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Recipes from my Lincolnshire kitchen

christmas blend tea cake bundt

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… absolutely loving that it’s finally December.  It feels as though a weight has lifted and all the sparkle and jingle bells and tinsel that was stuffed, groaning into that locked cupboard have suddenly burst open spewing their festive gloriousness over everything… well, not quite.  It’s only just the second day of December but like an over-excited child I simply cannot wait.  I think my brain has already switched down a gear which is crazy because there’s no much work to do before we actually break up for the holidays and it’s so funny because the phone and emails have not stopped but every time a client asks me for stuff that needs to be done prior to the 24th I just want to scream at them… ‘but it’s CHRISTMAS!!!!… how can you expect anything to be done now before January. If only it were that easy… maybe it’s because I’m part bear that I feel like hibernating or maybe it’s just that my brain has taken all it can take this year but I really need to switch off and enjoy myself this year… now all we need is some snow…

christmas blend tea cake bundt
a new dictate from the viking allows no cakes until Christmas Day… which quite frankly is a ridiculous thing for a food blogger to even think about in his life but there is of course a caveat that I can still make the cake, we just can’t eat the cake.  Basically, the moment the cake photographed it has to leave the house.  This last weekend saw the annual christmas fete over in Aby and so I used this excuse to bake something a little christmassy which they could sell to raise well needed funds. This cake is incredibly simple to make and has all the scrummy flavours of Christmas without the heaviness of a traditional cake so it’s nice to serve to friends who may pop in prior to the big day and ease them into the Christmas spirit…

300g mixture mixed dried fruit and candied peel
225ml hot tea – I used a divine Betty’s Tea Room Christmas Blend
the juice and finely grated zest of 1 orange
150g butter
150g light brown sugar
2 eggs
225g wholemeal self-raising flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger
a dash of vanilla extract
a dash of grand marnier or other orange liqueur

for the icing
200g butter
400g icing sugar
a little orange juice or orange liqueur
a sprinkling of mixed nuts

place the dried fruits in a bowl and pour over the hot tea, orange juice and zest. Cover with cling film, then leave for at least 4 hrs or better still overnight.

pre-heat oven to 160C fan and grease your bundt tin. 
beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs followed by the flour and spices. 
carefully stir through the soaked fruit mixture, you should have a little liquid left over so set this aside
spoon the mixture into the bundt, then smooth over the surface with the back of a spoon. 
bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, then remove from the oven and prick all over with a skewer and spoon over the remaining liquid tea with a dash of liquor mixed in, then leave to cool before turning out
the cake works really well left un-iced but it’s always nice to add a little christmassy icing to the proceedings, simply beat the butter in a large bowl for 5 mins until it’s soft and creamy, then slowly beat in the icing sugar and a dash of orange liqueur to slacken it off a bit, then slather it generously onto your cake and sprinkle with pretty nuts

i’m linking this up to the brilliant Tea Time Treats hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage which has the theme of Sugar and Spice

it’s also going over to AlphaBakes, hosted by Caroline from Caroline Makes and Ros from The More Than Occasional Baker because one of the main ingredients in my bundt is nuts and the letter for this month is N

i’m also sharing it with the Love Cake link-up hosted by Jibber Jabber UK as the theme is Festive Fun

and of course i’m linking this to my very own Simply Eggcellent which has the theme of Anything Goes

eat and of course, enjoy!

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Comments

  1. Laura Denman says

    I'll take the unwanted cakes! This one is beautifully simple and sounds wonderful which is helped along by my love for a good cup of tea. It looks perfect

  4. kellie@foodtoglow says

    Loving your Christmassy naughty (booze!) but nice (wholemeal flour!) teacake. I am with you on wanting desperately for people to stop contacting me. I want to get fully into the Swedish hygge thing right now. A slice of this cake in front of the fire, clad in fluffy socks and with some glogg would be the perfect way to slide into Christmas. PS you are very strong to give away all of your baking 😉

  5. Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

    You're Christmas enthusiasm is (almost) catching! Still hunting for mine I am afraid.
    Not sure I could give all the cakes away without at least a little tester. Especially if they look this good….. Yep…. I would absolutely HAVE to eat some x

  6. Jibber JabberUK says

    First of all – banish the Viking! Secondly, if that isn't an option send any forbidden cake samples round to me! I love a fruit tea cake and it works so well as a Christmas bake.

  7. Choclette Blogger says

    Haha, I think I need the Viking to come and be strict with me. Not sure I could resist trying a piece of this. Just make sure you get that snow after you're all snuggled back at Belleau – you don't want to get stuck in London.

  8. Thinly Spread says

    YAY to Christmas at last! Your bundt is so pretty! No way I'm resisting cake twixt now and Christmas – it's the most cakey time of the year *wanders off singing*