Hot Little Christmas Cakes Recipes

CHRISTMAS TREE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and unsalted butter to a large bowl and cream together using a hand or stand mixer.
• Beat in the vanilla, eggs, sour cream and buttermilk.
• In a separate bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa, instant coffee, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir just to combine.
• Divide the batter evenly in the prepared muffin cups and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
• In a small bowl, stir together the vanilla frosting and green food coloring. Start with about 5 drops of green food coloring, stir, and see if you like the shade or if you want to add a few more drops to get a deeper green color.
• Spoon the colored frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Start by piping a center star and then work your way around the top of the cupcake, moving slowly in as you go, to form a triangular shape, like a tree.
• Top with your favorite holiday sprinkles and dust with the confectioner's sugar for a snowy effect.
• Serve and enjoy!

MINI CHRISTMAS CAKES

Steps:

• Combine currants, raisins, sultana raisins, and candied cherries in a plastic container with a lid. Pour brandy over dried fruit; stir in orange and lemon zest. Close container and set aside to soak for 2 to 3 days. Stir or shake container every few hours as you remember.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with 24 cupcake cases or lightly grease 24 ramekins.
• Combine 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add eggs and molasses and beat well. Stir in all-purpose flour, self-rising flour, almonds, and mixed spice until well combined. Fold in almonds and soaked fruit; mix well. Spoon mixture into the prepared cases or ramekins.
• Bake in the preheated oven on the center rack until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cake comes out clean, about 90 minutes. Allow to cool in their cases.
• Store in airtight tins or wrap them tightly in greaseproof paper and aluminum foil for at least 10 days before decorating.
• Heat jam in the microwave for 10 seconds until warmed and brush onto each cake.
• Roll out marzipan between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Cut out circles with a round cookie cutter or a glass with the same diameter as the cakes. Arrange marzipan circles on top of the jam on each mini fruitcake. Store fruitcakes in an airtight container before finishing the final decoration, 8 hours to overnight.
• Roll out white fondant between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and cut out circles with the same diameter as the cakes. Press a cookie stencil with a snowflake pattern onto the fondant circles. Color in the snowflake pattern with blue food coloring using a small brush and place on top of the marzipan layer. Repeat with remaining cakes.

HOT LITTLE CHRISTMAS CAKES

Steps:

• Grease and flour 4 small ramekins and set aside. Tip all the ingredients, except the berries and cherries, into a large jug or bowl. Using a hand blender, blend until completely combined, then stir in the dried fruit. Chill cake mix until needed.
• Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Divide the mix between the ramekins and bake for 15 mins until puffed up and golden. Tip the cakes out onto plates, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with honey.

LITTLE HOLIDAY CAKES

Steps:

• Roll pastry to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut twenty-four 2-1/2-in. circles. Press onto the bottom and 1/2 in. up the sides of greased muffin cups. Top each with 1 teaspoon jam; set aside., Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions for cupcakes. Fill prepared muffin cups three-fourths full., Bake at 350° for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Frost with vanilla frosting and decorate with sprinkles.

MINI CHRISTMAS CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter eight 150ml ramekins and line the bottoms with circles of non-stick baking paper. Divide the cake mix between the ramekins, transfer to a baking sheet and slide into the oven. Bake for 30 mins until springy and dark golden brown. Leave until cool enough to handle, then run a round-edged knife around the edge of the each cake. Turn out and cool completely on a rack.
• If the cakes have risen into peaks, make flat by slicing the tops off with a serrated knife. Melt the jam with 1 tbsp water and brush over the top of the cakes. Lightly knead the marzipan and shape eight golf ball-sized balls. (You will have some left over - wrap up well for another time.) Using a rolling pin, gently roll the balls into flat circles, approx 1cm thick and the same diameter as the cakes. Sit the marzipan on the jammy side of the cakes. Do the same with the icing, brushing the marzipan with a little cooled, boiled water to help it stick.
• Beat the egg white until just frothy and broken up. Spread the caster sugar over a plate. Dip the cranberries and rosemary in the egg white, shake off the excess and roll in the caster sugar to create a frosty effect. Leave to dry for 15 mins. Tip away all but 2 tsp of the egg white and mix with the icing sugar to create a thick paste. Use to fix two cranberries and a sprig of rosemary to the top of each cake. Decorate with gold ribbon. The cakes will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.