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Ginger and apricot Christmas cake?

(8 Posts)
MellowYellow Tue 13-Oct-20 15:19:23

I've never really been a cake baker Fennel so it's new ground for me!

Fennel Mon 12-Oct-20 17:02:34

Apricot and ginger sounds like an ideal combination, never thought of it.
This might just persuade me to start baking cakes again.

MellowYellow Mon 12-Oct-20 12:38:07

Thank you EilaRose and Avalon, brilliant suggestions. How odd that I didn't think to look at the flavour combinations online. I Google everything usually, but I have zero confidence with baking. The cake is only for me so I'm going to add plenty of nuts and also have a mega layer of marzipan. Nobody ever 'marzipans' cakes enough for me!

25Avalon Mon 12-Oct-20 12:12:13

There are loads of recipes for ginger and apricot cake online.
In the past I have made apricot Christmas cake that only had to be made a couple of weeks before Christmas and was not heavy like some Christmas cake. It’s moist and keeps well.

I’ve just looked it up and guess what? It’s Mary Berry’s Apricot and Brandy Cake Christmas cake! You can find the recipe on BBC Food. I would think you could swop the glacé cherries with crystallised ginger.

EilaRose Mon 12-Oct-20 11:03:38

I always put both together as I find apricots on their own are quite sweet and the ginger takes that away and adds another dimension.

In fact I use ginger a lot in cooking/drinks/etc or just to nibble, but I buy 'naked' or UNcrystallised ginger as doesn't have the sugar coating, so if you use regular crystallised ginger you might need to reduce some of the sugar, or other sweeteners.

Have you thought of adding some walnuts, almonds or pecan nuts as well? When I make fruit bread, sometimes I make a ginger and walnut loaf, other times I use various dried fruits, but always add ginger and either walnuts or almonds.

;-)

MellowYellow Mon 12-Oct-20 10:51:14

Thanks Nonogran, that's a good idea.

Nonogran Mon 12-Oct-20 10:48:47

Try apricots & ginger chucked in together in a normal sponge type mix & see if you like the flavours together. If so, make your festive cake accordingly. Just a thought.

MellowYellow Mon 12-Oct-20 10:38:15

I've found a Christmas cake recipe which guarantees a nice squidgy cake. It has apricots in it, but I want to add crystallised ginger (as per a Mary Berry recipe). Would the two flavours go together? I imagine the apricots help make the cake nice and soft, but I haven't made a Christmas cake for decades so I'm a bit perplexed!