Day 357: Pizza and Mincemeat Cake
(Just a taste.)
Am quite exhausted. It appears I haven’t scheduled in any actual sleep between now and Boxing Day. I’m starting to panic a little, squeezing Christmassy activities into every spare hour (wrapping, making gifts, going to look at Christmas lights) but not really scratching many off my list. I was up at 6 again this morning to go do 4 segments on BT, and then was on traffic duty on the Homestretch again tonight until after 6. I did see W in between from 12-2, but even that was a crush of stuff.
Sorry, when did this blog become a Dear Diary, this is what I did today? I suppose it all leads up to dinner, and I need to absolve myself of guilt over ordering Inglewood pizza again. To pick up on the way home. Generally we have Chinese food at least once around the holidays, but we’re lizard-sitting my niece and nephew’s Christmas present, and the “super worms” the thing eats live dangled writhing over its face with a chopstick may have turned me off sesame noodles forever.
I’ve also been eating this mincemeat Christmas cake I made on BT this morning all day – I was calling it 5-Minute Fruitcake, but it really is nothing like a fruitcake – you use jarred all-fruit mincemeat and it comes out this dense, moist, spicy cake that is wonderful plain and I’ve never attempted to ice. Maybe anti-fruitcake? D, who is a fruitcake hater, said this was the best cake she had ever eaten. I wouldn’t go quite that far, but still – it’s pretty good for something you can mix up in under 5 minutes.
The original recipe calls for a high-sided 9 inch round pan (a springform pan would work as well), which creates a cake that is sunken in the middle. I kind of like the look of this, but since this is such a dense batter and such a large quantity baked at once, you could bake it in a Bundt pan (for about 45 minutes) which would prevent the problem of the middle not baking as quickly as the sides. I’ve done both.
Mincemeat Christmas Cake
AuthorJulieAdapted from Nigella Lawson’s Feast
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter or spray a Bundt pan well with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and orange zest for a few minutes, until pale and light. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the mincemeat in two, stirring just until combined.
Scrape into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until deep golden and springy to the touch. Turn the cake out of the pan onto a wire rack while it’s still warm. If you like, dust the top with icing sugar. Serves 16.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter or spray a Bundt pan well with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and orange zest for a few minutes, until pale and light. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the mincemeat in two, stirring just until combined.
Scrape into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until deep golden and springy to the touch. Turn the cake out of the pan onto a wire rack while it’s still warm. If you like, dust the top with icing sugar. Serves 16.
De-lurking to tell you your cookbook arrived and it is spectacular! Thank you again, I love cookbooks so this will be a wonderful addition to my collection.
I would also like to wish you a very Merry Christmas. It has been a real pleasure reading your blog daily. I can’t wait to see what 2009 brings over here!
Well thank you again Julie! I have about 2/3 of a jar of mincement sitting in the fridge and have been looking for something different to do with it. This cake looks perfect and I’ll make it up tomorrow for xmas dinner. And speaking of Christmas, best wishes for a very merry and happy holiday to you and your family.
I have been asked for mincemeat something as well. I know some people “like it but it doesn’t like them” so I think this will mellow it out a bit but still give the nice flavor they are craving. Let’s do it! Have a wonderful holiday. I hope the magic of Christmas settles in to your home.
I’m going to try that cake! My hubby’s birthday is today.
Can I make it in a different pan? I don’t have a round pan with tall sides, just short sides.
Merry Christmas!
I love the “dear diary” aspect of your blog!! It’s actually inspired me to get my own website of my daily life with a daily blog for 2009 (I’m the one with the 3 kids under 3 and people seem to be interested in my insanity HA HA). But the whole reason I decided to do it is because I enjoy this website so much and I like the idea of doing one myself. And if no one is interested in it I at least have a journal of 2009!!
Loved your segments on BT yesterday, it looked like you had so much fun! I love the hosts on that show!! My oldest son was on BT this past year to do mom and baby yoga segment and I was so dissapointed that Dave Kelly was off that day and I didn’t get to meet him 🙁 I’m a big fan of his too!
Dave is SO great. They are just so much fun on that show – I love doing it!
I love the “dear diary” aspect too. Makes all of us other Moms who don’t seem to have enough hours in a day feel like they’re not the only ones. I was at Williams-Sonoma til almost midnight last night… 6+ hours standing at a till is er difficult. Thanks to 2+ weeks working the xmas rush I now have a new appreciation for retail… Now I just have to figure out how to finish my shopping while I’m working til close again tonight. 🙂
Hi Julie – I thought of you the other day when I made the Sticky Toffee Pudding from January’s Bon Appetit. Honestly, I think its something you’d make -really “num-yummy”; however, if you do,be sure to put it in a larger pan than called for, because it did the happy dance all over my oven. Wishing you & your family a wonderful Christmas!
Don’t feel bad about the pizza. Every time you ask what we’re having I seem to have to answer popcorn…..
Merry Chirstmas!!!!
Love the pic! Love the writing! And a cake in 5 minutes!? Sweet!!