Do you make your own Christmas pudding or cakes? I have to say, it has never been part of my family tradition to make a Christmas pudding and I’m pretty sure that this is the first time I’ve made my own Christmas cakes. Our usual tradition is to make Pierniczki or Polish Spiced Christmas Cookies, to decorate and hang on the tree, which I made this year, in addition to these sweet little Mini Christmas Cakes, for good measure.
If you are super-organised and have finished your Christmas shopping, you may have set aside some time for baking over the weekend. I hope that if you make my Polish Christmas Cookies, or perhaps some Mini Christmas Cakes of your own, you’ll let me know how you get on.
These mini cakes were made in a tin, sent to me by Lakeland to try. I made them according to the Mini Christmas Cakes recipe on the Lakeland website, soaking my fruit in the Rumtopf I made earlier in the year, rather than orange juice. The recipe was extremely easy and quick to prepare. I sprayed the tin with a cake release spray, just be sure they came out easily. I’ve also made some mini cheesecakes, and the tin behaved perfectly for them, too. These mini cakes are cakey, rather than fruity, which I like.
Discloure: I received a My Kitchen 12-Cup Mini Sandwich Tin for review along with a cake pan for a Chrismas Pud cake. I was not required to write a positive post about any Lakeland products. The cake ribbon and decoarations were my own purchase from the local garden centre. The cake toppers are made by Birchcraft, UK. With many thanks to the team at Lakeland.
Find my Pierniczki recipe here
My favourite Christmas Recipes and Posts
Time is short for everybody, but I wanted to leave you with a round-up of some of my favourite festive recipes and posts. Thank you so much to everyone who has made this blog such a pleasure to write.
Things We Make - Pierniczki - This is a post from last year, but it is so beautful that I’ve enjoyed re-visiting it again. Claire made my Polish Spiced Christmas Biscuits and they were a big family hit.
Chocolate Log Blog – Christmas Cinnamon and Honey Stars - Choclette made her version of my Pierniczki this year, and wrapped them up to sell them at the market – a Fabulicious Food! recipe market premiere!
My Custard Pie – The Ultimate Champagne Cocktail - Sally dedicates a post to the Champagne cocktail – how I would love to join her for a drink at the Burj al Arab. This post is decadent and full of fun and facts.
Food to Glow – Chocolate Chestnut Truffle Cake - Kellie shares photos and a recipe for her flourless chocolate cake, which is simply stunning.
Fuss Free Helen shares a recipe and beautiful photos for her Christmas Pudding and Spiced Orange Pavlova - a perfect use for Christmas pudding leftovers.
Lavender and Lovage – Rudolph the Red Nosed Potato – Mini Potato Dauphinoise Muffins - Karen is this month’s Simple and in Season host and has shared some lovely Christmas recipes within her Rudolph post!
Finally, I’m linking my original Polish Spiced Cookies up to Sarah at Maison Cupcakes Christmas Tree Cookie Parade!
Have you left yourself with any time to bake over the weekend?!
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Ren Behan
Ren Behan is a British-born food writer of Polish descent. She is a mum to two young children (6 and 3) and spends lots of time with them in the kitchen. Ren writes about seasonal, family-friendly food on her blog www.renbehan.com and about Polish food on her site www.mypolishkitchen.co.uk. She also contributes recipes and articles to online and print food publications. Ren holds a Diploma in Food Journalism with Distinction and has completed a Food Styling course at Leiths School of Food and Wine. Full Profile on Google+
I am honoured Ren to be included in this special Christmas post, sharing space with your fabulous mini Christmas cakes – stunning! – and the likes of Sally’s ultimate Champagne cocktail. Have a brilliant break with your family and I look forward to more of your fabulicious posts in 2013.
Ah Kellie you are so welcome. I absolutely love your chestnut and chocolate cake, so pretty, too. Have a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to lots more of your wonderful and inspiring posts in the New Year x
I have one of these tins from Lakeland – they’re great aren’t they although I do worry about losing some of those little discs. Gorgeous looking cakes – very simple and elegant.
Yes, I had a couple of extra in my tin, but guess what, I’ve lost one disc already! I’m sure it will turn up somewhere. I amde Speculoos cheesecakes, too, mmmn. tried to link up earlier but couldn’t get it to work, will try again. All the best for 2013 xx
Still have baking to do and shopping and finalise the food gifts. These little beauties look delicious. Merry Christmas to you and Happy New Year.
Good luck with getting everything done over the weekend. Thank you for all your lovely comments this year x
Thanks for including me in the round up Ren, and for being delightfully charming about my photos, it really made me smile.
Happy Christmas!
Than k you Helen, you are so welcome x
What a beautiful post and such lovely cakes too……Mum makes some in a similar manner and I always make them at Christmas! Merry Christmas to you Ren and thanks for mentioning my mini potato Dauphinoise! Karen
Thank you so much Karen, hope you have enjoyed a wonderful Christmas xxx
A lovely post, Ren, and your photos are fab and so Christmassy. I have the mini sandwich cake pan and I find it ok, but my cakes always end up too pointy on the top! Not easy to ice. Perhaps a fruit cake rather than vic sponge might be better. Glad you like my cookie post, I wish I had bothered to ice them though.
Thank you Claire, yes, my cakes were a bit peaky, but I just sliced a bit off the top of any that were too pointy. There is some trick where by if you use margarine, rather than butter, and a lower temperature for longer you don’t get the peaks! Loved your cookie post, decorated or not. xx
What pretty cakes and cookies! This year I baked a Chocolate Chestnut Cake (a cross between a mousse and a truffle), chocolate cloud cakes, and my first real Christmas buche. Now I am on to cookies! I hope your holiday season is cheerful and joyous and wishing you and your family all the best for 2013!
Hi Jamie, so lovely to hear from you, this is the first time I’ve checked my blog since before Christmas. There was so much to do during the lead up, I think I slightly overdid it! Hope your Christmas was restful, I’m heading over to find those cake recipes! xx