Thursday Life’s National Baking Day with Leanne Cooke-Popkin for Cakes By Noida
I have been baking… If we can count when you sit on the counter and lick the batter, it would be 35 years! This has been a family business starting from my paternal grandmother, then my mom and now me. But I officially started putting the batter in the pans about 20 years now.
I baked my first Christmas cake… I can hardly remember the exact date as I grew up in a baking environment. So the formalities have been obscured somewhat.
I bake because… It is second nature. When you grow up in the kitchen, it becomes your place of contentment.
The most challenging aspect of Christmas baking is… the consistency of ingredients. I have learnt over the years to start sourcing early, as they (the ingredients) get scarce and the price increases in the Christmas season.
What makes my Christmas cakes so special… Maybe my clients would be better at answering this! But I hope it would be the fusion of ingredients and smoothness in texture.
My must-have Christmas cake ingredient is… two things come to mind automatically. Red Label Wine and Eve browning, but you said one, so I will choose the former.
Jamaican Christmas Cake
Yields two 9” round cakes.
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
1 lb butter
½ lb brown sugar
1 tbsp browning
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond flavouring
1 tsp lime or orange rind
8 eggs
8 cups pre-soaked fruits (prunes, raisins, cherries, etc in white rum and wine)
6 oz breadcrumbs
1 lb baking flour
6 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp mixed spice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup Brandy
1 cup wine
½ cup walnuts (optional)
1 tbsp molasses
Method:
Method:
Prepare tins by greasing bottom and sides with shortening and dusting with flour.
In a bowl sift flour and add breadcrumbs, baking powder, mixed spice and nutmeg.
Beat butter, sugar and molasses until light and fluffy.
Mix in browning, vanilla, almond flavouring and rind.
Beat in eggs one at a time, making sure they are well blended. Add pre-soaked fruits.
Add flour mixture alternately with brandy and wine.
Pour batter into prepared baking tins.
Bake for approximately 2 hours at 250 degrees.
