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Gingery Christmas Cake
(adapted from a recipe in Lucy Waverman's column in The Globe & Mail ) |
| The following recipe, served at our 2006 Winter Open House,
is a variation of one originally printed in Lucy Waverman’s column in the Globe & Mail a few years ago.
We altered the recipe to include fruits and nuts that grow in the Niagara Region, but it may be modified to
include any of your favourites. Because we wanted to soak our cake using our Late Harvest Vidal, we prepared
our cake only a few days ahead of time. The original recipe called for the cake to be soaked with a brandy.
If using this method, the cake should be wrapped in cheesecloth and foil and may be brushed with brandy every week for a month.
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1 cup Thompson raisins 1 cup red currants 1 cup chopped pitted prunes 1 1/2 cups dried cherries 1 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots 1 1/2 cups chopped crystallized ginger 2 cups chopped walnuts 1 tablespoon lemon zest |
1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups (1 lb) butter 2 cups granulated sugar 6 eggs, beaten Lailey Vineyard Late Harvest Vidal for soaking |
Preheat oven to 250 F. Butter two large loaf pans and line with parchment paper. Combine raisins, currants, prunes, cherries, apricots, ginger and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir in lemon juice and zest. Toss in 1/2 cup flour. Combine remaining flour with baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Beat together butter and sugar in a very large bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in egg mixture a little at a time. Stir in the remaining flour mixture and then the fruit and nuts. Turn the batter into prepared pans and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake on racks. Unmould cakes once cooled and brush with Late Harvest until well soaked. Wrap in cheesecloth and foil and store in the refrigerator for a few days before cutting. serve with Lailey Vineyard Late Harvest Vidal 2005 www.laileyvineyard.com | |