Christmas Cake Stage 1

Today is the day that I join in on the 'Christmas Cake Bake Along'...at the Down to Earth Forum......

This is the first time I will be baking a Christmas Cake....Until my Nan passed away, family members were all given a steamed Christmas Pudding from her....I can remember her having them hanging everywhere...even in the old laundry...If you know Nan, you will know where I mean.


If you would like to join in, please do so...You can view the three steps in the following links....

Step 1: the fruit soak......

Step 2: make the cake.....

Step 3: feeding the cake.....

As this is the first time I have baked a Christmas Cake; I really have no expectations, but looking at the recipe, I'm sure it will be lovely and moist.....

There is a lot riding on this cake; as next year I will be starting a new tradition within the family....I will either be making this Christmas Cake or I will be making Steamed Puddings.....the way Nan used to make them....hanging in the cloth for a few weeks leading up to Christmas......Either way, I wan't to be able to make individual ones to share out to family members...It's what I do!

I have started the Christmas Cake bake off; 
but I did change a few things in the recipe to suit us. 

Fruit soak:
55g (2oz/ 1/4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
55ml (1.75 flz oz) water
160ml (5.25 fl oz) brandy
90g (3.25oz/ 3/4 cup) sultanas (golden raisins) (I like to scan through and remove any stems left behind)
80g (2.75oz/ 1/2 cup) currants (I like to scan through and remove any stems left behind)
80g (2.75oz/ 1/3cup) pitted prunes, chopped (I replaced these with dried apricots)
80g (2.75oz/ 1/2 cup) fresh pitted dates, chopped
150g (5.5oz/ 1.25 cup) raisins (I replaced these with dried cranberries)
55g (2oz/ 1/3 cup) mixed peel (mixed candied citrus peel) (I replaced these with dried apple)
135g (4.75oz/ 3/4 cup) chopped dried figs

Here are some photos of the beginning of my Christmas Cake fruit soak....Day 1.

Left to Right: Currants, Apricots, Figs with the stems removed too, the fruit mix which I moved to the side in the dish so you could see the brandy, and the mix sitting on the kitchen cabinet...Yes, under the doily is plastic wrap...it's sealed well.

Here you can see I am sorting and picking out the stems....
I hate picking them out of my mouth...so we get rid of them before baking

Cutting the dried apricots up with scissors

It pays to check the packaging....you never know...
you may find a really great recipe...I'm off to email them.

More stems being removed off the dried figs,
before cutting them up with scissors too.

What lovely colours....
I pushed the fruit to the side, to show the brandy

Pride of place....see you tomorrow!

Yes there is cling wrap beneath the doily...
but doesn't the doily look much better.

Now I will stir it everyday for the next week.....then I will allow the fruit to soak for another 4 weeks...stirring the fruit mix once a week. 
Are you going to follow along and join in this bake off.....? 
Do you make a different Christmas Cake? if you do...and you blog about it...come back and leave a link to your Christmas Cake.