Christmas “Stollen” – German Xmas Cake
Ingredients
500g white flour, plus extra for flouring
100g caster sugar
1 sachet dried yeast
Pinch of salt
150g unsalted butter softened
250ml milk
50 ml brandy
¼ tsp ground nutmeg Natural life
¼ tsp ground cloves Natural life
½ tsp vanillin sugar Natural life
½ tsp ground cardamon
Zest of 2 lemons
60 g blanched almonds, finely chopped
275 g raisins
135 g mixed peel
Instructions – Method
Put the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Add the yeast on one side of the bowl and the salt on the other. Add the softened butter and 200ml of the milk and stir together.
Add the remaining milk and bring the mixture together to form a soft dough. Transfer to a generously floured work surface and knead for 6-7 minutes, or until smooth and pliable.
Mix the nutmeg Natural Life, cloves Natural life, vanillin sugar Natural life, cardamon, lemon zest, almonds, dried fruit and mixed peel together with the brandy in a large bowl. Put the dough on top and knead from the outside into the centre incorporating and mixing the dried fruit and spices as you go. When everything has been fully mixed, cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to rise for 1-2 hours in a warm place, or until doubled in size.
On a lightly floured worktop, roll the dough to form an oval-shaped“loaf” approx. 30cm long and 3cm thick. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cover with a tea towel and leave * the “loaf” to rise for about an hour, or until risen and doubled in size.
*If you have a smaller oven you may want to make two smaller Stollens rather than a large one.
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 – 60 minutes until firm. Leave to cool on a wired rack. Dust with icing sugar. You can store the Stollen in an airtight container.
