Issy Randall, proud owner of The Cupcake Cafe, is in love and couldn’t be happier. Her new business is thriving and she is surrounded by close friends, even if her cupcake colleagues Pearl and Caroline don’t seem quite as upbeat about the upcoming season of snow and merriment. But when her boyfriend, Austin, is scouted for a possible move to New York, Issy is forced to face up to the prospect of a long-distance romance. And when the Christmas rush at the cafe – with its increased demand for her delectable creations – begins to take its toll, Issy has to decide what she holds most dear.
This December, Issy will have to rely on all her reserves of courage, good nature and cinnamon, to make sure everyone has a merry Christmas, one way or another…..
Indulge yourself and your sweet-toothed friends with Jenny Colgan’s new novel, simply bursting with Christmas cupcake recipes and seasonal sugar-fuelled fun.
The Classic Christmas Cake
By Delia Smith
This, with no apologies, is a Christmas cake that has been in print since 1978, has been made and
loved by thousands and is, along with the Traditional Christmas Pudding, one of the most popular recipes
I’ve produced. It is rich, dark and quite moist, so will not suit those who like a crumblier texture. Recently
we took some of these cakes along to book-signing sessions up and down the country and were quite
amazed to see so many people take a mouthful and then buy a book!
1lb (450g) currants
6oz (175g) sultanas
6oz (175g) raisins
2oz (50g) glacé cherries, rinsed, dried and finely
chopped
2oz (50g) mixed candied peel, finely chopped
3 tablespoons brandy, plus extra for ‘feeding’
8oz (225g) plain flour
1/2 level teaspoon salt
1/4 level teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 level teaspoon ground mixed spice
8oz (225g) unsalted butter
8oz (225g) soft brown sugar
4 large eggs
2oz (50g) almonds, chopped (the skins can be left on)
1 level dessertspoon black treacle
grated zest 1 lemon
grated zest 1 orange
4oz (110g) whole blanched almonds (only if you don’t intend to ice the cake)
You will also need an 8 inch (20cm) round cake tin or a 7 inch (18cm) square tin, greased and lined with silicone paper (baking parchment). Tie a band of brown paper round the outside of the tin for extra protection. You need to begin this cake the night before you want to bake it. All you do is weigh out the dried fruit and mixed peel, place it in a mixing bowl and mix in the brandy as evenly and thoroughly as possible. Cover the bowl with a clean tea cloth and leave the fruit aside to absorb the brandy for 12 hours.
Next day pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275°F (140°C). Then measure out all the rest of the ingredients, ticking them off to make quite sure they’re all there. The treacle will be easier to measure if you remove the lid and place the tin in a small pan of barely simmering water. Now begin
the cake by sifting the flour, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl, lifting the sieve up high to give the flour a good airing. Next, in a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the butter and sugar together until it’s light, pale and fluffy. Now beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the creamed
mixture a tablespoonful at a time; keep the whisk running until all the egg is incorporated. If you add the eggs slowly by degrees like this the mixture won’t curdle. If it does, don’t worry, any cake full of such beautiful things can’t fail to taste good!
When all the egg has been added, fold in the flour and spices, using gentle, folding movements and not beating at all (this is to keep all that precious air in). Now fold in the fruit, peel, chopped nuts and treacle and finally the grated lemon and orange zests. Next, using a large kitchen spoon, transfer the cake mixture into the prepared tin, spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon and, if you don’t intend to ice the cake, lightly drop the whole blanched almonds in circles or squares all over the surface. Finally cover the top of the cake with a double square of silicone paper with a 50p-size hole in the centre (this gives extra protection during the long slow cooking). Bake the cake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 41/2–43/4 hours.
Sometimes it can take up to 1/2–3/4 hour longer than this, but in any case don’t look till at least 4 hours have passed. Cool the cake for 30 minutes in the tin, then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling. When it’s cold, ‘feed’ it –make small holes in the top and base of the cake with a cocktail stick or small skewer, then spoon over a few teaspoons of brandy, wrap it in double silicone paper secured with an elastic band and either wrap again in foil or store in an airtight container. You can now feed it at odd intervals until you need to ice or eat it.
About the Author:
Jenny Colgan is the author of numerous bestselling novels, including Christmas at the Cupcake Café and The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris, which are also published by Sphere. Meet Me at the Cupcake Café won the 2012 Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance and was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller, as was Welcome to Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop of Dreams, which won the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2013. Jenny is married with three children and lives in London and France.
Jennifer’s Review of Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe
Review (4 Stars): I really enjoyed Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe and this is the perfect little romance for the holiday season. Issy Randall is the owner of the Cupcake Cafe and things have been going well for her in both her personal and professional life. Issy’s boyfriend, Austin, is away in New York on business and she has been making preparations for the busy holiday season, waiting for his return home. Austin has the opportunity of a lifetime when he is offered a position in New York and Issy must now choose between starting somewhere new or saying goodbye to the man who has made such a difference in her life.
I liked Issy and I’m so glad that things were going well for her after the first book, Meet Me at The Cupcake Cafe. She was a very sweet and fun character and spending time with her was like spending time with a good friend. This is a great book for the holiday season but I would recommend reading the first book before starting Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe because you get to meet and enjoy these characters from the very beginning of their journey.
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