Sri Lankan Christmas Cake Recipe – By Malsha – eLanka
Ingredients:
Dried Fruits (Step 1)
- 250 g Sultanas
- 100 g Raisins
- 125 g Ginger preserve or candied ginger, chopped
- 125 g chow chow, chopped
- 250 g glace cherry or macerated cherries, chopped
- 200 g Brandy
Semolina & Butter Mix (Step 2)
- 250 g Unsalted Butter
- 200 g Semolina
Egg Yolk Mix (Step 3)
- 500 g White Sugar (Adjust to 400g based on fruit sweetness)
- 13 Egg Yolks
Spices and Flavouring
- 14 g Almond Essence
- 14 g Vanilla Essence
- 2 tsp Rose Essence
- 3 tsp Mixed Spices
Final Ingredients (Step 4)
- 40 g Golden Syrup or Bees Honey
- 200 g Strawberry Jam
- 400 g Cashews, chopped
- 400 g Pumpkin Preserve (also known as melon candy or puhul dosi), chopped
Step 5
- 7 Egg Whites, beaten to soft peaks
Assembly
- 250 g Ready-to-Roll Marzipan
- Enough Brandy to brush on the cake
Instructions:
Preheating and Tray Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (conventional).
- Line 2 baking trays (25x25cm) with 3 sheets of parchment paper to prevent burning.
Soaking Dried Fruits (Step 1 + Half of the Spices and Flavouring)
- 2-3 days before baking, place raisins, sultanas, chopped ginger preserve, chow chow, and glace cherries in a large bowl.
- Add half of the vanilla, rose, almond essence, and mixed spice to the fruits.
- Reserve the remaining half for the cake batter.
- Mix in brandy, cover with cling wrap, and let it soak.
Semolina & Butter Mix (Step 2)
- Toast semolina in a pan on low heat for 5-6 minutes until slightly brown.
- While hot, place toasted semolina in a bowl, add butter, and mix until incorporated. Set aside.
Egg Yolk Mix + Remaining Flavouring (Step 3)
- Using a whisk attachment, mix egg yolks and sugar until fluffy and doubled in size.
- Set aside.
- Add the remaining spices and flavorings, along with strawberry jam, to the soaked fruit mix. Fold by hand.
Step 4 (Mixing All Components)
- In a large bowl, combine semolina mix (Step 2), egg yolk mix (Step 3), soaked fruit mix (Step 1), golden syrup, cashews, and pumpkin preserve. Fold gently. Avoid overmixing.
Step 5
- In a clean mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Gradually fold the whisked egg whites into the cake mixture.
Baking
- Pour the mixture into prepared trays (fill to the top, as the cake won’t rise).
- Bake for 2-2.5 hours until cooked.
- If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil.
- While hot, brush brandy on top. Leave the cake in the pan until cooled.
Final Steps
- Once cooled, remove from the tray.
- Store in a tightly wrapped container and brush with brandy every 2 days.
- When ready to wrap, brush with brandy and add a 1-2mm layer of marzipan.
- Cut into square pieces (45mmx45mm) and wrap with tissue and wrapping paper.
