 A British-style Christmas cake with marzipan and icing | |
| Type | Fruitcake |
|---|---|
Christmas cake is a type of cake, often fruitcake, [1] served at Christmas time in many countries. [2]
| A British-style Christmas cake with marzipan and icing | |
| Type | Fruitcake |
|---|---|
Christmas cake is a type of cake, often fruitcake, [1] served at Christmas time in many countries. [2]
Christmas cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. [3] A traditional English Christmas cake is made with moist Zante currants, sultanas (golden raisins) and raisins which have been soaked in brandy, rum, whisky or sherry. The cake may be covered in layers of marzipan, then icing and is usually decorated, often with plaid ribbon bands and Christmas models such as snowmen, fir trees or Father Christmas.
A Scottish speciality is the traditional Christmas cake, the "Whisky Dundee". As the name implies, the cake originated in Dundee, and is made with Scotch whisky. It is a light and crumbly cake, and light on fruit and candied peel; only currants, raisins, sultanas and cherries. [4] There is also the Scottish black bun, of a similar recipe using whisky and often caraway seeds, eaten on Hogmanay. [5]
Aside from candied cherries, some Christmas cake recipes call for angelica for green colour. [5] [6]
Coins were also occasionally added to Christmas cakes, as well as Christmas puddings, as good luck touch pieces. The usual choices were silver 3d piece, or sixpences, sometimes wrapped in greaseproof paper packages.
In Yorkshire, Christmas cake, as with other types of fruit cake, is usually not iced, and is eaten with Wensleydale.
A cake that may also be served at Christmas time in the United Kingdom, in addition to the traditional Christmas cake, is the cake known as a "Yule Log, or chocolate log". This is a Swiss roll that is coated in chocolate, resembling a log.
The Christmas cake largely displaced the previously popular Twelfth-night cake during the Victorian era.
In the United States, some people give fruitcakes as gifts at Christmas time, but they are not called Christmas cakes. [7] In Canada, however, the same cake is instead called "Christmas cake," at least among the English-speaking majority.[ citation needed ]
In India, Christmas cakes are traditionally a fruit cake with many variants. Allahabadi cake is famous for its rich taste and texture. Many smaller and more traditional Christian bakeries add alcohol, usually rum, in the cake. [8]
In Sri Lanka, Christmas cakes use treacle instead of cane sugar and include spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. [9]
In Japan, Christmas cake is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve. The cake is simply a sponge cake, frosted with whipped cream, often decorated with strawberries, and usually topped with Christmas chocolates or other seasonal fruits, and a Santa Claus decoration. Christmas cakes of this style were originally released by Fujiya, and was popularized when they began sales at Ginza, the central commercial district in Tokyo. [10] This was during the time when Japan was going through massive waves of Westernization, particularly by the upper elite class. Members of the upper class, who had a strong penchant for Western cultures in general, enjoyed Western style desserts as a delicacy. Thus, being a Western style dessert, Christmas cakes were associated with the idea of Western modernity and social status. [11] Therefore, it was a major hit when the Christmas cakes were commercialized and became more affordable to the general public. Different shapes and styles of Christmas cakes are released across the countless numbers of confectionery stores in the country; the cakes are no longer tied down to the traditional form of round white cakes with strawberries and Santa Claus on top. [10] The Christmas cakes today are symbolized as a ritual of Christmas celebration; specifically, the act of sharing the cake with family or friends. [11] [12]
In the Philippines, Christmas cakes are bright rich yellow pound cakes with macerated nuts or fruitcakes of the British fashion. Both are soaked in copious amounts of brandy or rum mixed with a simple syrup of palm sugar and water. Traditionally, civet musk is added, but rosewater or orange flower water is more common now, as civet musk has become very expensive. These liquor-laden cakes can usually stay fresh for many months provided they are handled properly. Another traditional Filipino Christmas cake is the crema de fruta , which is a sponge cake layered with sweet custard or whipped cream, gelatin or gulaman (agar), and various preserved or fresh fruits, including mangoes, pineapples, cherries, and strawberries. [13] [14] [15]
In Cyprus, Christmas cake is much like the UK and is served on Christmas Day. It is the first treat the locals serve to their guests.
In Germany, Stollen, a traditional German fruitcake, is popular. During the Christmas season, it's also called Weihnachtsstollen or Christstollen.
In Italy, Panettone, a sweet bread with a distinct cupola shape, is traditionally eaten at Christmas. It contains raisins and candied citrus fruit and is prepared meticulously over several days. Pandoro is a typically Veronese product traditionally shaped like a frustum with an eight-pointed star section. The "Pandolce Genovese" is also a famous Christmas cake. The name "Genovese" refers to its city of origin, Genoa. [16] It is similar to a fruitcake, but not as tall and crumblier. [17]
In France, Belgium, Switzerland, French Canada, Luxembourg, and Lebanon, a Bûche de noël (Yule log) is the traditional Christmas cake. They are light sponge cakes covered with a layer of butter cream flavoured with chocolate, coffee and Grand Marnier. Then it is rolled and covered with another layer of butter cream, which is streaked and sprinkled with caster sugar to simulate a log of wood covered with snow. Yule Logs are often garnished with Christmas-themed sugar or plastic decorations. Its origin is the large wooden log called Yule Log that was burned in the hearth for several days at Christmas time from at least the Middle Ages throughout Europe and a French pastry chef to represent in the form of dessert in the 19th century. It contains no fruit. [18]
In Portugal and Brazil, Bolo Rei, which translates to "King Cake" in English, is a traditional Portuguese and Brazilian Christmas cake. It is typically enjoyed during the Christmas season and is known for its rich and sweet flavor. The cake is round with a hole in the center, resembling a crown. It is often decorated with candied fruits, nuts, and powdered sugar.
The Bolo Rei is made with a rich dough that includes ingredients like eggs, sugar, butter, and sometimes port wine or brandy for flavor. It may also contain nuts, candied fruits, and raisins. The hole in the center is usually filled with a variety of dried fruits and nuts.
In Portugal, it is a popular tradition to include a fava bean in the cake. Whoever finds the bean in their slice is considered to have good luck for the coming year. Additionally, a small trinket or figurine is sometimes hidden in the cake, and the person who finds it is said to be the king or queen of the celebration.
Bolo Rei is often enjoyed with family and friends during the Christmas season, and it holds cultural significance in Portuguese and Brazilian holiday traditions.
In Eastern Europe, such as Moldova and Romania, variations of Pasca and Cozonac are made for the Christmas and New Year Holiday. Other variations such as Kulich are made in Russia and Paska in Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries. They are enriched type of breads that, similar to the Panettone, may contain or not dry fruits and other desired fillings.
Christmas is a very busy secular holiday for patisseries in Japan, and Japanese Christmas cakes are created with a wide variety of flavours, ingredients and colours. [19]
In Japan, women had traditionally been expected to marry at a young age, [20] and those who were unmarried after the age of 25 were metaphorically referred to as "(unsold) Christmas cakes" (クリスマスケーキ) in reference to items which are still unsold after the 25th. [21] The term first became popular during the 1980s [22] but has since become less common [23] because Japanese women today can remain unmarried with somewhat less stigmatization. [24] An equivalent term does, however, still exist that hearkens to the "unsold" nature of unmarried women, urenokori (売れ残り, 'unsold goods'). [25]
Brazilian cuisine is the set of cooking practices and traditions of Brazil, and is characterized by European, Amerindian, African, and Asian influences. It varies greatly by region, reflecting the country's mix of native and immigrant populations, and its continental size as well. This has created a national cuisine marked by the preservation of regional differences.
Christmas pudding is sweet, dried-fruit pudding traditionally served as part of Christmas dinner in Britain and other countries to which the tradition has been exported. It has its origins in medieval England, with early recipes making use of dried fruit, suet, breadcrumbs, flour, eggs and spice, along with liquid such as milk or fortified wine. Later, recipes became more elaborate. In 1845, cookery writer Eliza Acton wrote the first recipe for a dish called "Christmas pudding".
A king cake, also known as a three kings cake, is a cake associated in many countries with Epiphany, the celebration of the Twelfth Night after Christmas. Its form and ingredients are variable, but in most cases a fève such as a figurine, often said to represent the Christ Child, is hidden inside. After the cake is cut, whoever gets the fève wins a prize. Modern fèves can be made of other materials, and can represent various objects and people.
Fruitcake or fruit cake is a cake made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and optionally soaked in spirits. In the United Kingdom, certain rich versions may be iced and decorated.
Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and commonly other ingredients such as sweeteners, spices, flavourings and sometimes eggs.
Stollen is a fruit bread of nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and often containing marzipan. It is a traditional German Christmas bread. During the Christmas season the cake-like loaves are called Weihnachtsstollen or Christstollen. A ring-shaped Stollen made in a Bundt cake or Gugelhupf pan is called a Stollenkranz.
Carrot cake is cake that contains carrots mixed into the batter.
In many European countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, there are various traditions surrounding the use of bread during the Easter holidays. Traditionally the practice of eating Easter bread or sweetened "communion" bread traces its origin back to Byzantium, Eastern Catholicism and the Orthodox Christian church. The recipe for sweetened or "honey-leavened" bread may date back as far as the Homeric Greek period based on anecdotal evidence from classical texts.
Christmas dinner is a meal traditionally eaten at Christmas. This meal can take place any time from the evening of Christmas Eve to the evening of Christmas Day itself. The meals are often particularly rich and substantial, in the tradition of the Christian feast day celebration, and form a significant part of gatherings held to celebrate the arrival of Christmastide. In many cases, there is a ritual element to the meal related to the religious celebration, such as the saying of grace.
Genoa cake is a fruit cake consisting of sultanas, currants or raisins, glacé cherries, almonds, and candied orange peel or essence, cooked in a batter of flour, eggs, butter, and sugar.
An icebox cake is a dairy-based dessert made with cream, fruits, nuts, and wafers and set in the refrigerator. One particularly well-known version used to be printed on the back of boxes of thin and dark Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers.
Jul, the Danish Jule and Christmas, is celebrated throughout December starting either at the beginning of Advent or on 1 December with a variety of traditions. Christmas Eve, Juleaften, the main event of Jul, is celebrated on the evening of 24 December, the evening before the two Christmas holidays, 25 and 26 December. Celebrating on the eve before Christmas is also used for most other holidays in Denmark.
The thirteen desserts are the traditional dessert foods used to celebrate Christmas in the French region of Provence. The "big supper" ends with a ritual 13 desserts, representing Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles. The desserts always number thirteen but the exact items vary by local or familial tradition. The food traditionally is set out Christmas Eve and remains on the table three days until December 27.
Succade is the candied peel of any of the citrus species, especially from the citron or Citrus medica which is distinct with its extra-thick peel; in addition, the taste of the inner rind of the citron is less bitter than those of the other citrus. However, the term is also occasionally applied to the peel, root, or even entire fruit or vegetable like parsley, fennel and cucurbita which have a bitter taste and are boiled with sugar to get a special "sweet and sour" outcome.
Mazurek is a very sweet, flat cake baked in Poland for Easter.
Crema de fruta is a traditional Filipino fruitcake made with layers of sponge cake, sweet custard or whipped cream, gelatin or gulaman (agar), and various preserved or fresh fruits, including mangoes, pineapples, cherries, and strawberries. It is usually served during the Christmas season. It has multiple variations, ranging from changes in the fruits used to the addition of ingredients like jam, sago, condensed milk, and others.
Julekake is a Norwegian Christmas cake. It is a yeast cake made with butter and sugar, spiced with cardamom, and containing candied fruits, raisins, and almonds. It is also sometimes called a "Christmas bread" instead of a cake. It can be eaten warm, or toasted and served with butter.
a cake that contains nuts and fruits and that is served at Christmas
{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)Better educated, more widely travelled and raised in more affluence than their mothers, young women no longer feel bound by the Japanese tradition that says a woman unmarried after age 25 is like a Christmas cake on Dec. 26 — stale.
Women are said to be gaining new clout in the realm of romance. They are marrying later, or not at all. They are making their own persnickety demands on potential mates. The best-known demands on their list are called the "three highs": high salary, high education (a four-year university degree) and a height of not less than 5 feet, 7 inches.
The social stigma previously attached to the unmarried is slowly on its way out as the number of women who stay single, as well as the number of divorcees, has increased.
Media related to Christmas cakes at Wikimedia Commons
Christmas cake at the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject| Butter cakes | |
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| Cheesecakes | |
| Nut cakes | |
| Chocolate cakes | |
| Fruitcakes | |
| Layer cakes |
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| Spit cakes | |
| Sponge cakes |
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| Foam cakes and meringue | |
| Yeast cakes | |
| Special occasions | |
| Other |
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