Mama's Christmas Cake

We are having a slew of people over for dinner tonight so of course I'm blogging.  Hey, it relaxes me.  We're having David's US staff over plus their spouses and kids.  The dinner is being catered but I'm doing the desserts.  So I decided to make my Mama's famous Christmas cake.

I made it for the first time last year for my Cooking Club and it got rave reviews.  Then I took it to three parties last season.  Everyone loved it and I've YET to mess it up.  While it looks a little daunting, it's quite easy to make.

Once you make the cake itself (see full recipe below), you invert the cake onto confectioner's sugar-powdered kitchen towels.

Then you peel off the wax paper 

And roll the cakes up to cool. 

Once cool you unroll the cake and spread cherries and whipped cream and roll the cake back up.

Place it on a platter 

And spread with homemade whipped cream. 

And garnish with holly from the front yard.  What would have been great was if I had remembered to reserve a few cherries to garnish the top of the cake with.  I forgot this year.  Oh well!  I think it still looks pretty and I'm sure it'll taste great!

Merry Christmas!

Mama's Christmas Cake

1 c sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 Tbsp frozen oj concentrate

3/4 c sugar

21 oz can cherry pie filling, drained

2 Tbsp water

1/2 c confectioner's sugar

2 c heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

Grease a 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pan. Line bottom with wax paper; grease wax paper. Preheat oven to 375.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

Beat eggs with mixer until thick. Beat in sugar. Continue to beat on high speed until very thick and creamy. Turn mixer to low. Beat in orange juice concentrate and water. Add flour mixture until batter is smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 12 minutes. Invert cake onto clean towel that has been dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Peel off wax paper. Trim ¼ inch from all sides of cake. Roll up cake and towel together. Cool completely.

Put cherry pie filling in a sieve and drain off juice. Beat cream until stiff. Add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla.

Unroll cake. Spread half the cream on the cake and most of the cherries. Roll cake back up. Place roll, seam side down, on serving plate. Top with remaining cream and garnish with remaining cherries. Decorate with holly leaves.