If you’d like a lighter alternative to the traditional English Christmas cake, try this traditional Argentine recipe.

Ingredients:

50g fresh yeast (5g dried yeast)
60ml warm milk
500g plain flour
500g strong white flour
1 tsp salt
200g sugar
5 eggs
175g butter (at room temperature)
1 tblsp grated lemon rind
1 tblsp grated orange rind
1 tsp malt extract (Marmite)
1 tsp orange flower water
1 tsp cinnamon
150g seedless raisins
100g chopped nuts (p.ej: walnuts, almonds, pecans)
150g chopped glacé fruits
75ml brandy
optional: 2 tblsp egg white and icing sugar (for icing)

2 large cake tins, lined with greaseproof paper (or 3 medium ones)

Preparation:

Mix the yeast with the milk and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Mix in a large bowl the flour, salt and sugar. Make a hollow in the centre and add the yeast mixture, the add the eggs one at a time, followed by the butter, lemon and orange rind, yeast extract, rose water brandy and cinnamon; mix in some of the flour to form a soft dough. Tip out onto the table and mix in the rest of the flour and knead until the dough is firm and elastic. If necessary, sift a little more flour over the dough while kneading. Cover and leave to rise 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Pour hot water over the raisins and strain well. Stretch out the dough on the table and spread the raisins, nuts and glacé fruits over the dough, then fold the dough over and knead a little to mix in the fruit and nuts. Divide the dough into two lumps and leave to rest for 30 minutes covered with a plastic bag.

Knock down the dough and knead a little more, making sure the fruit and nuts don’t come out; place in the tins and leave to rise until the dough reaches the tops of the tins.

Brush with beaten egg and cook in a medium oven for some 50 minutes. Remove from the oven; when cool, decorate with the icing and some chopped nuts if desired.

Argentine Christmas bread