Cake #52 Christmas Mulled Sponge Loaf

'Twas the day before Christmas and all through the house, "The kitchen smells like port wine and cinnamon," said my spouse." Today's cake is in preparation for Christmas tomorrow. I am bringing the cake to my sister's house for after dinner -- hopefully all will enjoy! This cake was really fun to make because I got to make my own reduction of powdered sugar, port wine, and one piece of star anise. The decorations on top of the cake were 10 fresh cranberries, 10 fresh bay leaves, 1 egg white, and superfine sugar. The rest of the cake was also different from most of the other cakes I have made, containing the traditional flour, butter, baking powder, eggs, vanilla, and light brown sugar; it also was made with apple pie spice, a grated rind of an orange, and orange juice.

The cake tastes like licorice (probably from the star anise in the reduction), wine, and cinnamon- even though there isn't any cinnamon in the cake!  I love this cake even more so because Evalyn helped with sugaring the bay leaves and the cranberries . . . now it may not look as good as the professional cake picture (see below) but this one is so much more special because Evie got to make part of it (see mine).

Book's picture: 

My cake . . .with Evalyn's sugaring technique!

The fact that Evalyn was able to help me make part of this cake, and asks me "Mom you okay?" when I cough, or "Mommy you help?" when she needs me to fix something astounds me. How can this not-even-two-year-old girl already be such a young lady? She doesn't realize what tomorrow means, but she does know how to say "ho, ho,ho" and she has gotten some presents from Ted's side of the family (which she loved) so she is getting some practicing at opening them.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas tomorrow morning, - but a not a Happy New Year yet . . . because I will have another cake to bake for that!