Christmas Cake From Iceland

This is a very simple Christmas cake recipe that I had the pleasure to learn from a friend from Iceland...

If you are searching for something simple to prepare, check this out...

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon cardamom flavored extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 175 C. Grease one 11 inch loaf pan. Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at time beating well after each one. Pour milk, lemon and cardamom flavorings and keep stirring.

Stir in the flour and the baking powder. Sift a little flour over the raisins then stir them into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Put in the heated oven for 55 to 60 minutes.

Christmas Wreath Cake

This is a really good fruit cake recipe. You can eat the same day you make it, even better if you let sit for awhile.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 cup red and green candied cherries
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups raisins
1-1/4 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup candied pineapple, diced
3/4 cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup dates, pitted and chopped
4 eggs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 150 C. Line a tube pan with 2 layers of brown paper, and grease well. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix in coconut, pineapple, dates, cherries, nuts, and raisins.

Stir until all fruit is coated. In another large bowl, cream butter with white sugar. Add lemon juice, lemon rind, and eggs; mix well. Stir in fruit mixture. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 2 hours. Cool.

Christmas Pound Cake

And finally this one is a very famous Christmas cake among the American citizens...

Ingredients:

6 eggs
4 tablespoons lemon extract
2 cups white raisins
1/2 to 1 cup candied pineapple
1/2 to 1 cup candied cherries
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound pecans, coarsely chopped
1 pound granulated sugar
1 pound flour (4 cups all-purpose or 4 1/2 cups cake flour)
1 pound butter or margarine
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions:

Cream butter, sugar and lemon extract. Sift the flour once, then measure. Sift twice more, adding baking powder and salt to last sift.

Add eggs, one at a time, to creamed mixture, alternating with flour; beating well after each addition. This makes a very stiff batter so will probably have to be beaten by hand.

Then add nuts, candied fruits and raisins which have been coated with a little of the flour. Bake in a large round tube pan which has been lined with brown paper and greased. Bake at 150 C for about 2 hours, or until done.