Spiced chocolate & dried fig Christmas cake | Chocolate recipes | Jamie magazine recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you make Jamie Oliver figs? ›

Using a fine grater, zest your clementines over the figs then dust the figs with a sprinkling of cinnamon and a teaspoon of sugar. My flavoured sugar is also great for this so if you've made a batch of that, feel free to use that instead. Pop the figs in the oven to bake for 4 hours, checking on them every hour or so.

Christmas cakes to be kept in a tin can be made up to 3 months in advance depending on the recipe you use, OR you can make it many more months ahead, freeze it and defrost it when you are ready to 'feed' it or ice it.

There's no hard and fast rule about when to ice your cake, but it's best to do it between 24 hours and a week ahead of the big day.

This is a question I get asked a lot and my answer is early November. Yes this seems early, but there are two key things that make a Christmas cake extra tasty and that is…

You can use rum, brandy or whisky for spice, or if you like citrus flavours, try an orange liqueur. Cherry brandy and amaretto will also work well if you prefer these.

It is said to boost their fiber content. This makes them easy to digest and amplifies their health benefits on digestion. We just mentioned that figs are rich in dietary fiber. Soaking them in water overnight may boost their fiber content even more.

Sprinkle the baking soda over the figs; cover with the 12 cups of boiling water. Soak for 45 minutes to 1 hour. This helps remove any latex from the skin of any slightly under-ripe figs.

Fresh figs contain some calories from natural sugar, but having a few figs is a reasonable, low calorie snack or addition to a meal. On the other hand, dried figs lack the water content of fresh figs, making them much smaller, while the sugar and calorie content stays the same.

The best thing to do is look at the cake. If there are any signs of mould, or if the cake has a fermented, sour or odd smell, then it is safer to discard the cake. But if there are none of these then the cake sould be fine as rich fruit cakes can be kept for longer.

Other good choices of booze include brandy, rum, or whiskey. Feel free to use one or a mix of these to best complement your fruitcake. Once you've chosen the liquor, bake the cake, poke holes throughout the whole thing, and pour a few tablespoons of the alcohol over it. Or, you can brush the cake with the alcohol.

Why is Christmas cake so dry? ›

Don't Over-Bake

If you're looking for a dry cake, simply over-bake it! In all seriousness though, over-baking cakes dry them out. It could only be a 30 second window between perfectly baked and over-baked, so make sure you're keeping an eye on the cake. Begin checking it 1-2 minutes before the recipe instructs.

If you absolutely have to bake two trays at one time (because cake frenzies do happen!), make sure you switch the position of the trays halfway through the cooking time so that they each get the best position in the oven. This will also ensure that both cakes cook evenly.

Be sure to coat your cake before applying royal icing. You can use marzipan, fondant, buttercream, or a syrup. This is done to seal the moisture in the cake and prevent it from going dry.

Apply the Royal Icing

Decorate as you wish with silver or gold sugar balls, Christmas ornaments, or other festive decorations. Let the cake dry, uncovered until the icing sets hard, at least overnight or up to three days before serving. If not serving immediately, store in an airtight container.

Fresh figs are usually eaten raw. They taste best eaten straight off the tree, ideally still warm from the sun. The entire fig is edible, from the thin skin to the red or purplish flesh and the myriad tiny seeds, but they can be peeled if you wish.

Pre-soaking helps to break down the soluble fiber content of the figs.

Fig trees don't flower like apples and peaches. Their flowers bloom inside the pear-shaped pod, which later matures into the fruit we eat. Each flower then produces a single, one-seeded, hard-shelled fruit called achene ― that's what gives the fig the crunch we know ― and the fig is made up of multiple achene.

Helps Relieve Constipation:

Figs act as a natural laxative due to their high soluble fibre content. Thus, eases out the strained bowel process. Try consuming 2 to 3 dry figs empty stomach to help relieve constipation.