I have found perfecting these tiny Christmas cakes very pleasurable but frustrating too, as I didn't immediately get the result I wanted.
Each batch makes about 45 cakes and I've made at least six different batches so we have eaten or given away more than 280 little Christmas cakes over the past two months.
Because each petite is only a mouthful, maybe two, they absolutely had to have the wow factor.
I extensively modified a traditional Christmas cake recipe by decreasing the sugar and butter and increasing the spices and other flavourings until I had the result I wanted.
The flavours are deep and intense. The texture is moist, light but at the same time quite dense.
I notice people usually eat my petites in a slow, thoughtful way.
These gourmet little mouthfuls have been a great hit.
You can make them as a replacement for your standard Christmas cake or as well as.
They are reasonably easy to make, not much more difficult than making muffins.
I know the list of ingredients is long but the method is quite quick and straightforward.
Just a word of caution: beating the butter and sugar together is not as easy as usual because there isn't a lot of it.
So I beat the jam in at the same time to make it easier.
The blackcurrant jam turns the mixture a lurid pink and it curdles when the egg and banana are added, but none of this matters.
Just continue and all will be well.
I cook the little cakes in well-oiled mini-muffin tins (30ml, 2 Tbsp capacity).
I have four mini-muffin pans, each with 12 holes and I use them frequently.
These are often on sale at chain stores and are quite inexpensive.
You can, however, use mini-paper cases but these are not very rigid.
To support the cake mixture you may need to use two or three paper cases, one inside the other.
Petite Christmas cakes make a very good present to take to people over the Christmas period.
Petite Christmas cakes
Makes approx 45 cakes
Ingredients
100g New Zealand dried apricots, chopped
100g crystallised ginger, chopped
300g mixed dried fruit
zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
2 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup brandy or sherry
200g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp each of ground cinnamon and mixed spice
1½ Tbsp cocoa powder
60g butter, softened
50g dark cane sugar
¼ cup blackcurrant jam
2 large eggs, size 7
1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 large)
Almond paste
150g ground almonds
150g icing sugar
1 egg white, size 6 egg
3 or 4 drops almond essence
To decorate
red and green jubes (optional)
Method
Grease or spray 45 30ml capacity mini-muffin pans. Or use mini-paper cases by themselves if you don't have muffin tins. Use two or three paper cases one inside the other for more rigidity.
Preheat the oven to 180degC or 160degC fanbake.
Place the dried apricots, crystallised ginger and mixed dried fruit into a microwave-proof bowl. Add the orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice and brandy and mix well. Microwave on 60% power for 2min. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, mixed spice and cocoa powder. Set aside.
Beat the butter, sugar and blackcurrant jam until light and creamy. Add the eggs and mashed banana and beat well. The mixture will curdle but it doesn't matter. Add the soaked fruit to the beaten butter and sugar mixture and stir to combine. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the fruit mixture. Mix all together thoroughly.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tins, filling each nearly to the top. Place the muffin tins on an oven tray. This makes getting them in and out of the oven easier.
Bake in the preheated oven for 16-18min or until the cakes have risen and are springy to the touch.
Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 3-4min before turning on to a wire rack. Leave to cool.
To make the almond paste
Place the ground almonds, icing sugar and egg white into a food processor. Add a few drops of the almond essence and process for about 40sec until the almond paste forms a ball around the blade. Remove from the food processor, wrap in plastic film and store in the fridge until required.
Take small pieces of the almond paste, about the size of a small marble. Roll it between the palms of your hands and gently but firmly place it on top of the little cakes, flattening it a little as you press down. Repeat until all the cakes are iced.
I quite like the plain look and don't always decorate the little cakes. However, they undoubtedly look more Christmassy when the little bits of red and green are added.
Cut jubes into little pieces to vaguely resemble red berries and green holly leaves and stick on to the almond paste topping.
Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to five weeks. Makes approximately 45 petite Christmas cakes.
