Christmas cake question

[Seahorse]

I wasn't going to make a cake this year. As I'm the only one who eats it, I was going to buy myself one of those small bar shaped pieces but I've now thought that if I made my own rectangular cake, I could cut off a piece for myself and divide the rest up for gifts.

All my recipes are for normal round cakes though. Will it go drastically wrong if I bake one in a rectangular tin? I presume the baking rate will be a bit different but I don't know how much that will matter when it's over a fairly long time?

Claire

[Nicos]

I always seemed to burn the corners of anything baked in a square or rectangular tin
Gave up before I started with the old Xmas cake!!!

( M&S for me I'm afraid!!)

[Alison]

There's no reaons why you can't cook in different shaped tins - did one for my grandad's 90th in a 9 and 0 shaped tin. Came out fine although was a s*d to ice!

Basically, if you have a recipe quoted for a round tin, just work out the surface area (ie Pi r2) and convert it into the equivalent square / rectangular size. Cooking times should be the same although obviously test when you think it's ready.

Funnily enough, cooked about 3 mix fulls this year, a full size round one for us, and 4 smaller square ones for gifts. No probs with any of them and don't have a burning problem at such low heat.

[shirlthegirl43]

I am sure I have a recipe that gives quantities for round and square cakes, will check when I get home and let you know. If you tell me what size round cake you normally make I should be able to tell you the equivalent square tin to use.

[Flummery]

A 20cm round tin is equivalent to a 18cm square tin (allegedly!)
You can approximate in old money by saying that a square tin takes the same amount of mixture as a round one which measures 1" more in diameter than the length of the side of the sq tin. (clear? As mud?)
So, 8" sq tin takes the same as a 9" diameter round tin.

You could always use loaf tins.

[Seahorse]

Thanks! So as long as I get the maths approximately right and perhaps put some extra grease proof or brown paper on the corners, I should be ok?

Claire

[shirlthegirl43]

Here goes:

12cm (5inch) round or 10cm (4inch) square - 3oz flour
15cm (6inch) round or 12cm (5inch) square - 4oz flour
18cm (7inch) round or 15cm (6inch) square - 6oz flour
20cm (8inch) round or 18cm (7inch) square - 7oz flour
23cm (9inch) round or 20cm (8inch) square - 9oz flour
25cm (10inch) round or 23cm (9inch) square - 11oz flour
28cm (11inch) round or 25cm (10inch) square - 14oz flour
30cm (12inch) round or 18cm (11inch) square - 1lb flour

The recipe is lovely and if anyone would like it I will type it in full - just tell me the size you want ingredients for. Makes a really tasty cake which you can feed with brandy or sherry and keep for ages. Good for Christmas, weddings or whatever.

Details from 'Simply Delicious'

[Alison]

Whether anybody wants it or not, here's the recipe I've been using for the past couple of years:

INGREDIENTS:
10oz sultanas
10oz raisins
4oz chopped dates
4oz chopped apricots
4oz quartered glace cherries
Juice and zest of 1 large orange
100ml apricot brandy or Grand Marnier
10oz softened butter
10oz dark muscovado sugar
4 beaten eggs
10oz plain flour
1 tsp of ground mixed sweet spice, cinnamon and nutmeg
4oz roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped although I used pecans
1 tbsp black treacle

METHOD:
1. Place the sultans, raisins, dates, apricots, cherries, orange zest, juice and alcohol into a large saucepan and stir well. Bring to the boil; remove from the heat and leave to soak for 1 hour.
2. Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat together until soft and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well between each addition.
3. Add the flour, spices, hazelnuts, soaked fruit with all their juices and black treacle. Fold together.
4. Spoon the mixture into a lined 9” deep tin. Level the top. Tie a double layer of brown parchment paper or greaseproof paper around the outside of the cake tin. Bake at 150C, Gas 2 for 3 – 3 ¾ hours.

It's really scrummy and lovely and moist, made mine about a month ago and have been infusing with orange brandy every week since.

[Flummery]

Oooh, can I just have the gravy?

[SarzWix]

I always use Delia Smith's recipe for Irish Whisky Christmas Cake, which is deisigned to be made in an 8" square tin and divided into 4 small cakes. I then give 3 as presents and keep one for the OH. I usually cheat though, and use bought marzipan, & packet royal icing mixed with treacle & whisky instead of water. Goes down a treat!
Irish Whiskey Christmas Cakes from Delia Online

[TPeers]

Seahorse - what temp do you usually cook at? Having got a weird fan oven rather that a decent gas job I have found the hard way that you need to double wrap the outside of square tins and cook about 15deg (1/4 mark) lower that the recipe calls for - just add about 10-15 mins to the cooking time to compensate.

Remember that the spring test is less effective on a fruit cake than the skewer test!

Terry

[Seahorse]

Oooh, I'm drooling just from reading these recipes!

I think my dilemma is solved though! One of the cakes I was looking at was the one in Nigella's 'Feast' and flipping through a few more pages, I found she uses the same recipe for cupcakes, which I think will be ideal as gifts, plus a nice variation on making an enormous cake.

Thanks for everyone's input!

[shirlthegirl43]

That sounds a nice idea, you can ice them all differently too