The two cakes I made for Christmas Day dinner. The one on the right is Gemma's (@biggerbolderbaking) chocolate and orange cake, chocolate cake with orange frosting. The one on the left is my take on Nigella Lawson's chocolate fruit cake. I added dried fruits to my preference and topped the cake with an almond buttercream frosting to keep the classic Christmas cake flavor without having to drape the traditional marzipan over it (I don't like the texture of marzipan at all; it's like eating clay. Yuck!) Chocolate and Orange Cake Recipe: https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/chocolate-orange-cake/ Christmas Cake 1/2 cup raisins 1 cup chopped dates 1 cup dried cherries 1 cup dried cranberries 1 cup Tia Maria, or other coffee-flavored liqueur 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 t. cloves 2 t. ginger 2 t. cinnamon 1 cup honey 2 oranges, zested and juiced 2 T. cocoa 3 eggs, beaten 1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup ground almonds 1/2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. baking soda Place the fruit, liqueur, butter, brown sugar, spices, honey, orange zest and juice, and cocoa to a saucepan. Bring to a very gentle boil (remember, lots of delicate ingredients in there!), stirring as the butter melts. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a spring form pan with parchment paper, making sure it comes up slightly higher than the pan. This will insulate the cake and keep the top from becoming too dark. Add the eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and baking soda to the ingredients in the saucepan and mix well. Transfer the batter into your prepared pan and bake for an hour and a half to 2 hours, or until the cake is firm. Check the cake after an hour and, if the top seems like it’s browning too quickly, place a circle of parchment paper over it. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing it and peeling off the paper. Top yours with whatever you like (or serve plain), but I frosted mine with a simple buttercream frosting flavored with almond extract. #FeedingCreatively #ChristmasDesserts #BoldBaking #ChocolateAndOrangeCake #ChristmasCake #FruitCake https://www.instagram.com/p/B6hqwu2ntMo/?igshid=etvu83xay0im
