The days are drawing out but the weather is still wintery so using warming spices in a cake makes for a comforting treat.
This recipe development came about because when I was on the Christmas Bakeoff it required me to produce “ the taste of Christmas”. I wanted to flavour some mouses with mincemeat and the mincemeat needed to be produced in 30 minutes and then “ blitzed “ to be folded into the mouse mixture. Also I made miniature mince pies and they needed to be filled with fine mincemeat.
I developed a cooked mincemeat that is included in my recipe book as part of a frangipan tart, and when blitzed it is very versatile, it can be folded into mouses, custard for trifles and made into a delightful Christmas ice-cream.

To serve 12-16 slices
The days are drawing out but the weather is still wintery so using warming spices in a cake makes for a comforting treat.
This recipe development came about because when I was on the Christmas Bakeoff it required me to produce “ the taste of Christmas”. I wanted to flavour some mouses with mincemeat and the mincemeat needed to be produced in 30 minutes and then “ blitzed “ to be folded into the mouse mixture. Also I made miniature mince pies and they needed to be filled with fine mincemeat.
I developed a cooked mincemeat that is included in my recipe book as part of a frangipani tart, and when blitzed it is very versatile, it can be folded into mouses, custard for trifles and made into a delightful Christmas ice-cream.
Last November when I made some huge batches of this mincemeat I made too much and although it will keep until next Christmas I began thinking about other uses for blitzed mincemeat which is how this cake came into being.
I made a simple Victoria sponge, added a little cinnamon and vanilla then folded in the blitzed mincemeat . I made a creamy filling flavoured in the same way and presented it to the family and friends it was an immediate hit. My husband said it was the best cake developed so far and that is really saying something.
Until now I hadn’t formally written up the recipe. If you can make a Victoria sponge this cake will be so easy for you .
What you will need
Two 9 inch loose bottomed baking tins
Ingredients for the cake
340g eggs (out of shells)
340g caster sugar
300g soft margarine at room temperature
40g unsalted butter at room temperature
340g self raising flour plus a little for dusting the baking pans.
10g baking powder
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 level teaspoon cinnamon
Zest of half an organic orange
2 rounded tablespoons of finely blitzed mincemeat *

All the ingredients should be at room temperature
Cream filling300ml of double cream
1 rounded tablespoon of dried milk powder
1 rounded tablespoon icing sugar and a little extra for dusting
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 heaped tablespoons of blitzed mincemeat.

*use the mincemeat recipe from my frangipani tart in a previous Sherborne Times magazine, or go to my website bakerval.com where you will find it.

To make the cake
Method
Set the oven 160C, 180C, gas mark 4.
1.Grease and line the baking tins, you can use butter or vegetable oil , I use silicon circles in the bottom of my tins and only grease the sides.
2 .Weigh the eggs into a bowl and then add the same weight of sugar, margarine flour and baking powder, beat them for one minute then allow to rest for one minute then beat for two minutes with a hand-mixer or in a stand mixer.
3.Continue to beat the mixture for 2 minutes until light and fluffy, then fold in the cinnamon, vanilla,zest and mincemeat then share the mixture between the baking tins.
4.Bake in the oven for 35 minutes before checking if they are too noisy then put them back in the oven for another 2 minutes and that should do it.They usually are baked after 37 minutes.
5.Place The tins on a cooling rack to cool for two minutes and then transfer the cakes to cool completely on the racks.

To make the filling and assemble the cake1.Place the chilled cream in a stand mixer bowl or you can use an electric hand mixer, add the dried milk and the icing sugar and beat gently for one minute then leave for one minute to allow the solids to dissolve in the cream. Beat the cream until it reaches not quite stiff peaks and fold in the vanilla and the mincemeat.

2.Place one of the cakes on a cake plate or a board having first placed a little cream on the base, this will hold the cake firmly.
3.Using a spatula spread of the cream onto the cake. If you wish you can place the cream in a piping bag and snip 4cm from the bag so that you can pipe the cream onto the cake starting at the outer edge and spiralling the cream into the middle.
4.Place the second cake on top of the first and press down lightly.
5.Dust the top of the cake lightly with icing sugar.

If you wish to turn this into a very special occasion cake then you might like to brush the cake with a spiced syrup before piping on two layers of cream and then spreading two tablespoons of the blitzed mincemeat onto the cream before placing the second cake on top.

This cake will store in the fridge for up to 3 days in a cake box ( so that the fridge items don’t taint the cream. If you are freezing the cake you can open freeze and then place in a box where it will keep for up to a month but it is best eaten fresh.