Almond & Mincemeat Christmas Sponge Cake
This Almond & Mincemeat Christmas Sponge Cake is like a cheat’s Christmas cake as it’s an easy cake to assemble last minute and is full of festive flavour. A lightly spiced almond sponge rings in the season with its secret ingredient – mincemeat. Drizzled to perfection with a quick tipsy Brandy Cream Icing.
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 561kcal
Ingredients
- 275 g caster sugar
- 200 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 6 eggs medium
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 180 g gluten-free flour see notes
- 180 g ground almonds
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground mixed spice see notes
- 280 g mincemeat
Brandy Cream Icing
- 300 g icing sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons double cream
- 3-4 tablespoons brandy
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.
- Line and grease a 9 inch round cake tin.
- Cream the sugar with the butter on a slow to medium speed for about 6 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Beat the eggs in one at a time, mixing well between additions.
- Add the vanilla extract.
- Whisk the flour with the almonds, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl then beat into the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir in the mincemeat.
- Pour the batter into the cake tin, smoothing out the surface then bake for 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Leave for about 5 minutes for the cake to settle then carefully remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack before icing.
Brandy Cream Icing
- Stir the icing sugar together with the double cream until smooth.
- Stir in the brandy one tablespoon at a time until the icing has reached a thick dropping consistency.
- Spoon over the top of the cake nudging it towards the edges so it drips down the sides.
Notes
- The eggs used in this recipe were medium size, 60g with shell and 50g without shell. If you can't get hold of medium eggs then I recommend you weigh the eggs to achieve the right amount.
- This recipe was made using a suet based mincemeat so there was a bit more fat in the mix. If you are using a non-suet mincemeat then increase the butter by 20g.
- You can use your favourite shop bought mincemeat or to make the cake really special - use homemade! Try this Easy Mincemeat Recipe.
- This recipe was tested with Doves Farm Gluten-Free Plain White Flour. However it also works very well with my Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend.
- I urge you to make your own mixed spice which tastes so much better than shop bought. This recipe is also ideal if you can't find it in your local grocery store British Mixed Spice Recipe.
- This cake keeps well stored in an airtight container in a cool dark place for up to 3 days.
- The cake freezes very well. I’d recommend to freeze before you ice it if you are freezing the whole cake. Wrap up well in a double layer of cling film and then aluminium foil to avoid spoilage. Defrost overnight on the kitchen counter before unwrapping and icing.
Ingredient measurements
- Please note when you see ‘grams’ listed as opposed to ‘millilitres,’ or any other term of measurement, that is not incorrect. I weigh all of my ingredients, including liquids, for accuracy.
- US customary measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups
Nutrition information
Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification. The nutrition serving is for 1 slice of cake, assuming the cake is cut into 10 servings.Nutrition
Calories: 561kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 262mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 590IU | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 1.5mg