The Christmas season is incomplete without indulging in good food and great companions.
And what better way to end every Christmas feast than having a slice of Christmas cake.
If you are looking for inspiration on what to have for dessert this Christmas season, here are five types of Christmas cake around the world:
1.Fruitcake (United Kingdom and former British colonies)
As a former British colony, Malaysians often associate Christmas cake with fruitcake.
The traditional Christmas cake in the UK is a round fruitcake covered in marzipan and then in white royal icing or fondant.
It is typically decorated with snow scenes and holly leaves.
The cake is made with currants, sultanas and raisin which have been soaked in alcohol such as brandy, rum and whiskey.
Thanks to the alcohol content, a fruitcake can be edible for a very long time.
For example in 2017, a 106-year-old fruitcake was discovered from explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition.
The Terra Nova Expedition or the British Antarctic Expedition was an expedition to Antarctica that took place between 1910 and 1913.
The fruitcake was described to be in “excellent condition” and the smell was “almost” edible.
Maybe it is time to store the fruitcake you made this for your future great-grandchildren?
Read on how to make it here, here and here.
2.Stollen (Germany)
This Christmas cake is not exactly a cake but a cake-like fruit bread with yeast, water, citrus zest and flour.
There are also other ingredients such as orange peel, raisins, almonds, cinnamon and cardamon in it.
It is coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar.
Augustus the Strong (1670-1733) who was Elector of Saxony and King of Poland once ordered bakers to make a giant 1.7 tonne of stollen.
They had to custom build oversized oven and knife in order to make it happen.
Read on how to make it here, here and here.
3.Panettone (Italy)
While the Germans have their stollen, the Italians have their panettone.
Originally from Milan, it is a type of sweet bread that usually enjoyed for Christmas and New Year.
The typical shape is a cupola but some panettone also comes in octagon or frustum shape.
Unfortunately, panettone is not for those impatient bakers to make.
This is because it requires a long process that involves curing the dough.
However if you can bake sourdough at home, baking this Christmas cake should not be a problem for you.
Read on how to make it here, here and here.
4.Sponge Cake (Japan)
For beginner and intermediate bakers out there, how about making Japanese Christmas cake?
It is a simple sponge cake, frosted with whipped cream and often with strawberries.
On top of it, there is Christmas-like decoration.
Basically, it is a strawberry cake with Christmas deco.
Here is an interesting fun fact about Christmas cake in Japan.
The term ‘Christmas Cake’ is used as a metaphor term for a woman who is unmarried after the age of 25.
It is a reference to Christmas cake which are still unsold after the 25th.
Read on how to make it here, here and here.
5.Yule Log (France, Belgium, Switzerland and some former French colonies)
Also known as buche de Noel, this traditional Christmas cake is originally often served in France, Belgium, and Switzerland.
It is commonly made from a yellow sponge cake and chocolate buttercream to resemble a miniature Yule log.
The Yule log or Christmas block is a specially selected log burnt on a hearth as a winter tradition in Europe.
This particular custom is believed to derive from Germanic paganism where a portion of the log is burnt every evening until the Twelfth Night (January 6).
According to traditions, one can discern their fortunes for the new year according to how long the yule log is burnt and how many sparks it could produce.
As for the yule log cake, a fork is dragged across the icing to make it look like tree bark and powdered sugar sprinkled on top to resemble snow.
