Mateel Peddie’s baking journey commenced three years ago at Granville Northwest TVET Institute. “It instantly became my passion, something I absolutely enjoy and find peace in doing,” she tells Thursday Food. She baked her first Christmas cake while in training, in 2017, and soon progressed to baking Christmas cakes for family dinners.

“What makes my Christmas cake special is the amount of love and enthusiasm I place into my work to make an extravagant product. The giving of cakes is what a lot of persons use to express love and celebrate Christmas, so I believe you have to put love in your baking,” she says. “My cakes must also be extremely moist and flavoured… There’s no particular must-have ingredient, because all are equally essential to make a perfect cake.

“If I must single out one, though, it would have to be passion.”️

Extaciiis Cakes and Pastries Christmas Fruitcake

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter

6 oz blended fruits

2 cups brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 bottle browning

1 cup white rum

Method:

Preheat oven at 280°F.

Line baking pans with grease paper.

Sieve flour, baking powder & salt, add cinnamon, vanilla; set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Beat eggs gradually into mixture.

Fold in flour mixture, alternate with rum and end with flour.

Add fruits, browning, flavouring; mix evenly.

Pour batter in lined baking pans and bake for 1 hour or until skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.

Add rum to wet cake for greater flavour.