Description
Mary Berry Mini Christmas Cakes are delightful individual-sized festive treats packed with dried fruits, nuts, and warm spices. These charming cakes are baked to perfection, then lovingly covered with marzipan and icing, and finished with a touch of edible glitter for a sparkling holiday presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits & Nuts
- 300g mixed dried fruit
- 100g glacé cherries
- 100g almonds
Cake Batter
- 100g unsalted butter
- 100g soft brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 200g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed spice powder
- 75ml milk
Decoration
- 100g marzipan
- 100g icing sugar
- 100g fondant icing
- 50g edible glitter
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set the oven to 160°C (320°F) to prepare for baking your mini cakes evenly at a moderate temperature.
- Melt Butter and Sugar: In a pan, gently melt the unsalted butter with the soft brown sugar until fully combined and smooth, creating a rich base for your cake batter.
- Add Fruits and Nuts: Stir in the mixed dried fruit, glacé cherries, and almonds into the butter and sugar mixture, ensuring the fruits and nuts are well coated.
- Cool Mixture: Allow the fruit and butter mixture to cool to prevent cooking the eggs when added next.
- Mix Batter Ingredients: Stir in the eggs one at a time, followed by the all-purpose flour, baking powder, mixed spice powder, and milk, blending to form a smooth batter rich with festive flavors.
- Fill Cake Tins: Line small mini cake tins with baking paper and pour the mixture evenly into each tin, about three-quarters full to allow room for rising.
- Bake Cakes: Place the tins in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating the cakes are cooked through.
- Cool Cakes: Remove the cakes from the tins and let them cool completely on a wire rack to set before decorating.
- Decorate: Roll out the marzipan and cover each cooled cake. Then spread or pipe icing sugar and fondant icing on top. Finish by sprinkling edible glitter for a festive sparkle.
Notes
- Line the mini cake tins properly to prevent sticking and for easy cake removal.
- Ensure the fruit mixture is cooled before adding eggs to avoid scrambling them.
- You can substitute almonds with other nuts like walnuts or pecans depending on preference.
- Store decorated cakes in an airtight container to keep moist and fresh for up to a week.
- Edible glitter adds a festive touch but is optional for those who prefer simpler decorations.
