Food Category

Sri Lankan Christmas cake recipe

Created by Angela Nahas, Kirrily La Rosa & Samantha Ihring

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Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Serves 10

This addition of chow chow (choko) preserve is what makes this cake so moist. For best results, after cooling cake in pan, wrap cake in pan in plastic wrap, and store in a cool, dry place for 6 weeks to allow flavours to develop and increase the cake’s moisture. You will need a 20cm square cake pan and brown paper for this recipe.

Ingredients

225g (1½ cups) raisins
240g (1½ cups) sultanas
150g glacé pineapple, chopped
200g (1 cup) glacé cherries, chopped
495g jar chow chow preserve*, chopped
2 tsp each orange and lemon zest
150g (1 cup) unsalted cashews, toasted, finely chopped
160g (1 cup) unsalted almonds, toasted, finely chopped
60ml (¼ cup) brandy
250g unsalted butter, chopped
385g (1¾ cups) caster sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp rosewater*
180g (1 cup) fine semolina
1.5kg store-bought marzipan (almond icing)
Icing sugar, to dust
1 egg white, lightly beaten

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Preparation

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place all the fruits, chow chow preserve, zest, nuts and brandy in a large bowl. Stir to combine, then set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition, until just combined. Add fruit mixture, spices, rosewater and semolina, and stir to combine. Whisk egg whites to soft peaks, then fold into cake mixture in 2 batches.

Grease and line a 20cm square cake pan with a double layer of brown paper, then a double layer of baking paper. Spoon mixture into pan and bake for 3 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover with a damp clean tea towel and cool in pan. Trim edges and cut into 4 x 5cm-wide logs.

Knead almond icing by hitting it with a rolling pin until softened. Pinch off small amounts of icing and use to fill any holes in cakes on all sides.

Divide remaining icing into 4 even pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll out on a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar to 3mm thick. Cut into a 19cm x 21cm rectangle and brush with egg white.

Place a cake log lengthwise along the long edge of the icing closest to you, then roll away from you to cover in icing. With hands dusted in icing sugar, run your palms along sides to remove lumps or creases. Repeat with remaining logs and icing. Cut into slices.

Makes 4 x 5cm x 20cm logs

* Chow chow preserve, from Sri Lankan food shops and selected Asian food shops, is a fruit preserve of chokos in a sugar syrup.

* Rosewater is available from Middle Eastern food shops and selected supermarkets.

As seen in Feast Magazine, Issue 17, pg66.

Photography by Alan Benson

If you enjoyed this Sri Lankan Christmas cake recipe then browse more Sri Lankan recipes, cake recipes, christmas recipes, baking recipes and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.

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