Would it be Christmas without a Dickensian flourish? Pen Volger introduces the predecessor of the traditional Christmas cake, which was a Twelfth Night treat but could last the year with proper storage and serious restraint. There's plenty of time to have a go at the modern recipe she provides, and have your own ready in time...
Charles and Catherine Dickens’s first son, Charley, was born on 6 January. Every year his godmother, Angela Burdett-Coutts, sent a huge Twelfth Cake for his birthday. One cake followed the Dickens family to Genoa, where a Swiss pastry cook repaired a chip in its highly decorative frosting and displayed it in his window for the townsfolk to admire.
