Christmas baking recipes from Liverpool’s own bakeries & restaurants

The countdown to Christmas is officially underway and what better way to enjoy the season than by indulging in some festive bakes and delicious desserts?

If your prowess in the kitchen leaves a lot to be desired then worry not – we’ve asked some of our favourite bakeries and restaurants in the city to pass on some tried and tested recipes that are sure to leave your guests impressed.

Curated by Christine Toner

 

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Cuthbert’s Cinnamon Gingerbread

From Cuthbert’s Bakehouse
103 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool L3 5TB

Ingredients:

Gingerbread cake:

• 125g butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup golden syrup
• 1 1/3 plain flour
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¾ cup hot milk

Caramel Icing (optional):

• 120g butter
• 200g demerara sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• 200g icing sugar (Sieved)
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• cinnamon for dusting

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C, gas mark 3. Grease & line an eight-inch round spring form cake tin.
2. Add the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, syrup & spices in an electric mixer (or beat by hand with a wooden spoon in a large bowl).
3. Once the ingredients are combined, warm the milk & stir in the bicarbonate of soda (make sure you use a jug to allow space for the milk to bubble when you add the bicarbonate of soda. Add the milk to the cake mixture (it should resemble more of a thick batter mix now).
4. Pop the cake into the oven and bake for about one hour. Checking if a cake is ready by listening to hear if it’s singing can prevent a soggy bottom or dipped cake. If you can’t hear the cake bubbling pop it back in the oven for a few minutes.
5. When the cake is baking it’s time to make the icing (it tastes great with or without this, depending which you prefer).
6. Combine all of the ingredients together – butter, icing sugar and milk (add the milk to the preferred consistency).
7. Spread over the cake and enjoy with a little dusting of cinnamon.

Top tip: What’s great about this cake is once cooled & iced, you can portion & freeze!

 

Marco Pierre White’s Perfect Christmas Pudding

From Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse Bar & Grill
10 Chapel St, Liverpool L3 9AG

Ingredients:

• 100g sultanas
• 100g raisins
• 100g currants
• 50g mixed peel
• 60g chopped apricots
• 1 grated apple
• 30g flaked almonds
• 150ml brandy
• 85g fresh breadcrumbs
• 85g plain flour
• 170g beef suet
• 140g light brown sugar
• 1tsp mixed spice
• 3 beaten eggs

Method:

1. Combine all fruit together in a bowl.
2. Add the brandy.
3. Leave to soak overnight. Store for approximately one month, topping with brandy regularly.
4. Beat the eggs.
5. Add the beef suet, breadcrumbs, brown sugar, flour and mixed spice.
6. Make a hole in the mix to add the egg into. Fold together.
7. Line an ovenproof dish with greaseproof paper.  Spoon mixture into the ovenproof dish.
8. Top with greaseproof paper.
9. Cover with foil and tie string around the dish to keep in place.
10. Place the dish into a pan and fill with warm water.
11. Cover the pan with foil and leave to boil on a low heat for approximately 7 hours.
12. Serve warm with cream and berries.

 

Cranberry and Walnut Crumb Cake

From Muster Custom Coffee
15 Argyle St, Liverpool L1 5BL

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 170g butter, softened
• 200g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 230g full-fat sour cream
• 255g plain flour
• 1 & ¼ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 200g fresh cranberries

Walnut crumb:

• 450g brown sugar
• 290g plain flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 225g butter, melted
• 125g chopped walnuts

Glaze:

• 185g powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 175˚C.
2. Grease a nine-inch round cake tin with soft butter. Place a nine-inch parchment round in the bottom of the pan, then grease the parchment. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light, and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
4. Add in the vanilla extract and sour cream, mix well.
5. Lastly, add in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined. Fold in the cranberries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and set aside.
6. To make the crumb, in a large bowl, mix together all the crumb ingredients until moistened and large crumbs form.
7. Layer crumb mixture over the cake batter, covering it completely.
8. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes.
9. Let it cool completely.
10. Just before serving, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over the cake, slice and enjoy!

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