I cannot get my head around traditional xmas cake it is not something I ever want in my mouth. I do love cake though and always bring a cake to this festive picnic we have every year with our neighbours. I came up with this syrup idea yesterday, I thought it, I baked it and I took it along to the park last night. It turned out to be a real christmas cracker of a cake. A keeper.
She is pretty and sweet but also zesty and spicy with lovely little bursts of cardamom seed, not to mention as light as the clouds I gazed upon as I reclined on my picnic rug.
So this is now officially my version of a xmas cake, a xmas cake for when it's 30 degrees and you are picnicking in a park surrounded by gumtrees.
So this is now officially my version of a xmas cake, a xmas cake for when it's 30 degrees and you are picnicking in a park surrounded by gumtrees.
...the cake
125g softened butter (plus extra for brushing the bundt tin)
2/3 cups caster sugar
a lemon, zested and juiced
an orange zested
a lime zested
2 x eggs
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
2/3 cups buttermilk
...the syrup
3/4 cup caster sugar
an orange zested and juiced
a lime juiced
3 slices of fresh ginger
4 x cardamom pods, crushed so the seeds can escape
thick dollop style cream to serve
Preheat oven to 180. Brush a 20cm bundt tin generously with the extra butter.
Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, add in the zest of an orange a lemon and a lime, give it a mix then add in the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
Juice the lemon you just zested into the buttermilk and give it a stir to combine. Next fold the flour and buttermilk alternatively in batches into the butter gently and until just combined.
Pour batter into the bundt tin, even it out and give it a tap on the bench before popping it into the oven for 30 - 35 minutes. Test with a skewer, cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning upside down onto a wire rack with baking paper underneath (for syrup drips).
While the cake is in the oven and towards the end of the baking time you can make the syrup by combining all the ingredients in a small saucepan, bring it to the boil stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once it boils turn it down to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes without stirring. Strain the syrup and pour it over the warm cake then arrange the candied orange zest and cardamom seeds from the syrup over the cake. Serve with thick cream.
While the cake is in the oven and towards the end of the baking time you can make the syrup by combining all the ingredients in a small saucepan, bring it to the boil stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once it boils turn it down to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes without stirring. Strain the syrup and pour it over the warm cake then arrange the candied orange zest and cardamom seeds from the syrup over the cake. Serve with thick cream.
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