Mini Christmas Desserts! Nice to serve at gatherings and ultimate for gifting – lengthy shelf life, packages up fantastically, simple to make and economical. Made with my basic Christmas cake batter, the wealthy fruit cake is moist and velvety.

Mini Christmas Desserts

Listed below are the Mini Christmas Desserts I promised in final weeks’ Vacation Present Information!! That is simply my basic Christmas Cake transformed into mini type. They give the impression of being so nice on a platter to serve at gatherings, and are additionally ultimate for gifting as a result of they’ve a protracted shelf life. The cake is fantastically moist, wealthy with dried fruit, perfumed with Christmas spices. Dense, however tender pudding-like, not like a brick as many retailer purchased ones are.

I additionally like that they’re simple to decorate up for serving and gifting, as a result of this Christmas Cake is designed to be eaten plain. So that you don’t must fuss to work round frosting or add a sauce for serving. Simply mud with icing sugar, then for an additional Christmassy contact, tie a ribbon round each and add a sprig of rosemary!

Additionally – the choice so as to add a Christmas pudding drippy glaze!

What it’s worthwhile to make Mini Christmas Cakes

A LOT of dried fruit and little or no cake batter!! 🙂

1. SOAKED DRIED FRUIT (booze elective)

Right here’s what you want for the Soaked Dried Fruit. The fruit is soaked in both apple juice OR a mix of apple juice and brandy (for many who like boozy Christmas Cake).

Dried fruit combine speedy possibility – Whereas I like to cut my very own dried fruit (cake is softer, you get higher flavour and I can use the ratios I like), be happy to make use of a retailer purchased mixture of pre chopped dried fruit for comfort.

• Use any dried fruit you need – So long as it weighs 855g / 30 oz in complete. The choice above is the combination I like!

• Blended peel is a retailer purchased mixture of dried, crystallised (ie sugared) lemon and orange peel. Normally it comes pre chopped – I like to cut it a bit finer. I like much less citrus peel than some recipes as a result of I’m too scarred by all these instances I bit into an enormous piece of orange peel. Simply to not my style! Don’t use FRESH orange and lemon peel, will probably be too robust and too bitter. I have no idea how a lot contemporary peel to substitute this for.

• Juice and/or booze – for a standard boozy Christmas Cake, simply swap 1/3 of the apple juice with brandy. May also sub apple juice with orange juice in order for you a stronger citrus flavour.

2. CHRISTMAS CAKE BATTER

And right here’s what you want for the cake batter half. The cake has little or no baking powder as a result of it’s fairly a dense cake with a pudding-like texture. However it’s nonetheless bought a definite “cake” texture – not like some Christmas Desserts which might be so dense they’re like consuming fudge!

• Brown sugar – Darkish brown sugar offers the cake a richer color and that’s what I exploit for my basic single massive Christmas cake. For particular person ones, I choose a barely lighter colored crumb so the fruit bits stand out extra, so I exploit common brown sugar.

• Molasses / golden syrup – provides to the richness of flavour and color of cake. Both is ok – I interchange 12 months on 12 months.

• Walnuts – sub with any nuts of alternative, or go away it out fully.

• Oil AND butter – oil is what offers this cake an excellent moistness. Butter is for flavour!

• Eggs – That is what makes the cake maintain collectively quite than being crumbly.

• Flour – Simply common plain / all-purpose flour. Self elevating flour can be utilized to substitute the flour and baking powder however the cake might dome a bit of greater than pictured.

• Spices – All spice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Traditional Christmas cake flavours!

Tips on how to make Mini Christmas Desserts

The one distinction between this and my basic Christmas Cake is that I bake it in a sq. pan so I can reduce into sq. particular person truffles.

Pan dimension – I exploit a 20 cm / 8″ sq. pan which makes a 4.5cm / 1.8″ tall cake so when reduce into 9 squares, they’re a pleasant tall peak and spectacular gift-giving dimension. Be at liberty to make use of a bigger pan – for instance, a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ pan will make a 2.3cm / 1″ tall cake which you’ll be able to reduce into extra items. It’s also possible to use a muffin tin lined with silver foil patties.

1. Baking the Christmas cake

The important thing step that makes this a lot sooner to make than different fruit truffles is the fruit soaking step. Most recipes name for dried fruit to be soaked in a single day. I take a speedy strategy: simply microwave the dried fruit with juice and/or brandy, then stand for 1 hour to take in the liquid. A lot sooner – and simply as efficient!

1. Soak fruit – Microwave the dried fruit with the juice/model for 1 1/2 minutes or till sizzling. Stir to coat then put aside for 1 hour to let the fruit absorb the liquid and plump up.

2. Batter – Beat the butter and sugar for 1 minute till mild and fluffy. Due to the quantity of sugar vs butter, it received’t look creamy however you may inform it’s tender from the feel. Then beat within the oil and molasses, then the salt, spices and baking powder. Then beat within the eggs separately, beating till simply included.

3. Combine within the flour utilizing a picket spoon.

4. Soaked fruit – Then combine within the dried fruit, together with any residual liquid left within the backside of the bowl.

5. Pan – Pour the batter right into a lined 20cm / 8″ pan. It should fill it proper to the highest and that’s superb, the cake barely rises. As famous above, it’s a dense cake however it’s not brick-like! It’s nonetheless distinctly cakey.

6. Bake 2 1/2 hours – Cowl the cake with a sheet of baking paper (which is able to peel off with out ripping the cake floor off), then foil. Then bake for two hours, take away foil and paper, then bake for an additional half-hour uncovered to color the floor.

   Cool – Take away the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes within the pan earlier than transferred to a rack to totally cool.

2. Chopping mini truffles

I like to chop into 9 squares as a result of I feel the proportions look good and the cake is a gift-worthy dimension. To be particular, they’re 6.5cm / 2 1/2″ squares which might be 4.5cm / 1.8″ tall. As famous above, be happy to make use of completely different dimension pans. For instance, a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ pan will make a cake that’s 2.3cm / 1″ tall and it is possible for you to to chop many extra items.

1. Chopping – Trim the sides (to make the edges neat). Then reduce the cake into items as desired. I do 9 squares.

2. Trim floor – The floor of the cake is ever so barely domed. So to make the Christmas Cake into excellent uniform items, I trim the floor then flip them the other way up and enhance the bottom.

3. Flip and dirt or ice – Flip the cake the other way up so the bottom of the cake is the aspect you enhance. Then both mud with icing sugar (simple possibility I exploit when gift-wrapping), or enhance drippy-style with white frosting (for a basic Christmas Pudding look) or high with fondant (see basic Christmas Cake recipe for instructions).

Present wrapping

As I discussed earlier, Mini Christmas Desserts have of their favour as a do-it-yourself gifting concept. They’re:

• Simple to make

• Economical – particularly in case you use a blended fruit possibility as an alternative of getting particular person dried fruits

• Simple to embellish – Only a dusting of icing sugar makes them immediately Christmassy! Although tying ribbon across the cake actually is a straightforward option to make them much more gift-worthy. 🙂

• Simple to reward wrap – no want to seek out particular dimension jars of reward baggage. Simply wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbon.

• Lengthy shelf life – This one is necessary to me! A couple of years in the past I did cookies however they simply don’t have an incredible shelf life. It’s uncommon for any cookie to actually stay in top-notch contemporary type past 2 days. Wheres the Christmas Cake? I’ve stored mine within the fridge for a month and it was nonetheless like freshly made. How good is that!

Like to understand how you current these Mini Christmas Desserts in case you attempt them, or the way you customise the cake to your style. Share within the feedback beneath – readers love getting inspiration!

Additionally, spoiler alert for my associates – you’re all getting Mini Christmas Desserts this 12 months. 😂 – Nagi x

Watch methods to make it

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Mini Christmas Desserts – ultimate for gifting!

Writer: Nagi

Prep: 30 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes minutes

Fruit soaking: 1 hour hr

Whole: 4 hours hrs 45 minutes minutes

Dessert

Australia, British, Western

Servings9 – 16 items

Faucet or hover to scale

Recipe video above. This is my basic Christmas Cake transformed into mini type! They give the impression of being so nice lined up on a platter to serve at a gathering, and are additionally ultimate for gifting as a result of they’ve a protracted shelf life. The cake is fantastically moist, wealthy with dried fruit, perfumed with Christmas spices. Dense, however tender pudding-like, not like an fulfilling brick as many retailer purchased ones are.

Elements

CupsMetric

Quick soaked fruit (Word 1):

Christmas Pudding Drippy Glaze

Directions

Quick Soaked Fruit:

• Warmth – Place dried fruit and juice/brandy in a big microwavable container. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes on excessive or till sizzling.

• Soak – Stir to coat all fruit in liquid. Cowl then put aside for 1 hour (to plump up/soak and funky).

Cake:

• Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan). Grease and line a 20cm / 8″ sq. cake pan with baking paper / parchment paper, or bigger pan to get extra truffles out of it. (Word 5 on pan dimension).

• Beating – Utilizing an electrical beater, beat butter and sugar till clean and creamy (about 1 minute on velocity 5). Add oil and molasses, beat till mixed. Add salt, spices and baking powder – beat till included. Add eggs, separately, beating till simply included.

• Stir in the flour with a picket spoon, then the dried fruit (together with all the additional liquid in bowl) and walnuts (if utilizing).

• Pour into the cake pan, it is going to fill it proper to the highest (it will not spill over, the cake barely rises). Cowl the floor with paper then cowl with foil.

• Bake 2 1/2 hours – Bake for two hours, take away the foil and paper, then bake for an additional half-hour. A skewer inserted into center ought to come out clear with no batter on it.

• Take away from oven and funky for 20 minutes earlier than transferring to cooling rack. Cool fully earlier than slicing.

• Chopping – Trim off the edges (to make them neat). Then reduce into 9 squares (or extra, in order for you). Trim the floor (to make them degree because the cake barely domes). Then flip the other way up and enhance the bottom of the cake.

Adorning, gifting and serving

• Easy – Mud with icing sugar. That is all this cake wants, it is so full flavoured and moist! Wrap with cellophane and ribbon to reward.

• Ribbon – Wrap and tie a ribbon round every cake. Good option to current for serving. (Optionally available to incorporate for reward wrapping too, however then there is a double ribbon scenario occurring – ie ribbon and cake, ribbon on cellophane!)

• Drippy white glaze – Combine the icing sugar, butter, vanilla and begin with 2 tbsp milk. Combine very well (it is going to take time to return collectively, be affected person). Then alter thickness utilizing 1/2 tsp milk at a time. BE CAREFUL – it goes from too thick to too skinny very simply! Aim: Thick glaze that may ooze “pudding fashion”, as pictured, quite than dripping in lengthy streaks. Spoon onto cake, coaxing it down the edges. Permit to set earlier than wrapping.

• Fondant – See instructions in my basic spherical Christmas Cake.
• Serving – serve with custard for a standard expertise! Both do-it-yourself custard or retailer purchased pouring custard.

Recipe Notes:

1. Dried fruit – any fruit of alternative can be utilized so long as it totals 855g / 30 oz and it’s finely chopped. Mixture I’ve used is to my style – I don’t like my fruit cake too citrusy (hate biting into huge chunks of orange peel!). I like having selection for flavour.
Blended peel is a retailer purchased mixture of diced, dried, crystallised (ie candy) orange and lemon peel. Typically it’s already chopped, typically not. Chop it to dimension per recipe. It isn’t contemporary peel. Contemporary peel can be a lot stronger and extra bitter – unsure how a lot to make use of.
Pre chopped blended dried fruit – retailer purchased mixture of pre chopped dried fruit is ok to make use of. Chopping your individual will yield a extra moist cake (pre chopped dried fruit is just not as moist) BUT having stated that, this cake is so extremely moist, it has the give to make use of pre chopped!
2. Juice / brandy – this cake tastes simply nearly as good made with or with out alcohol, it comes down to private style. I normally make it with out as a result of Christmas Cake stretches far and I would like everybody to have the ability to eat it.
BRANDY – If you wish to use brandy, use 1/3 cup brandy PLUS 2/3 cup + 2 tbsp juice.
Juice – I like utilizing apple juice for its impartial flavour. Pineapple and different not so robust flavoured juices can be superb right here. In case you like citrus flavour, use orange juice – you may style it a bit greater than different juices.
3. Darkish brown sugar – makes the cake a wealthy darkish brown color. Can sub with regular brown sugar – will make cake lighter (additionally seems to be good as fruit stands out!)
4. Molasses / golden syrup – provides to the richness of flavour and color of cake. Both is ok – I interchange 12 months on 12 months.
5. Cake pan dimension – A sq. 20cm/8″ pan makes a 4.5cm / 1.8″ tall cake which is a pleasant peak for 9 squares. Be at liberty to make this cake in a bigger cake pan. a 23 x 33cm/9 x 13″ pan will make a cake 2.3cm / 0.9″ thick, it takes round 1 hour 45 minutes to bake (lined for 1 hour quarter-hour, then uncovered for half-hour). Don’t fret about precise baking instances as a result of the cake may be very moist so it’s forgiving.
It’s also possible to use a muffin tin – silver liners look pretty. They take round 25 minutes to bake (no must cowl, simply bake uncovered).
6. Serving – cake is moist and so full flavoured it’s great eaten plain. However for an additional particular contact, serve with custard.
7. Storage – I’ve stored it for a month in an hermetic container within the fridge and it was good because it was freshly made (at room temperature). Having researched on-line, seems to be like 2 to three months is the final consensus (for fridge) and a 12 months within the freezer (for this type of cake, with no alcohol. 

Vitamin Info:

Energy: 388cal (19%)Carbohydrates: 64g (21%)Protein: 4g (8%)Fats: 15g (23%)Saturated Fats: 9g (56%)Ldl cholesterol: 38mg (13%)Sodium: 127mg (6%)Potassium: 413mg (12%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 37g (41%)Vitamin A: 469IU (9%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 50mg (5%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Key phrases: christmas cake, simple christmas cake, fruit cake

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