Baking My Christmas Cake With Firewood And A Cooking Pot

 baking cake in a cooking pot

 Christmas cakes baked with firewood and a cooking pot

 Enjoying the firewood and cooking pot Christmas Cake

 Christmas Cake ready to bake in the pot

Dear Diary,

The girls and I tried to save gas in the village by baking with firewood. Everyone that ate the cake complimented it. I did not eat though because I am really struggling with reduction of my sugar intake. Visitors and family enjoyed the cake.

We did the mixing together, but the girls designed their cake. Baking this cake was fun as we are all amateur and relied on tips by my SIL for the icing. 

*After mixing the icing sugar with margarine, it was poured in a perforated cellophane (bread) bag and pressed out through the tiny opening to form the designs and writings on the cake.*

Everything about these cakes was done manually. After baking the first, there was still batter as shown in this picture, so we had to bake a second. 

It is a very simple cake with just few ingredients.

INGREDIENTS FOR OUR LOCAL CHRISTMAS CAKE

• Flour
• eggs
• margarine
• sugar
• salt
• vanilla essence
• Icing sugar
• A heart shaped baking pan

STEPS TO BAKING OUR CHRISTMAS CAKE

1. The margarine and sugar were mixed together by just stirring anticlockwise  with a wooden spoon. We continued to stir until the mixture became soft and fluffy.
2. Added a few drops of vanilla essence while stirring.
3. The beaten eggs were added, gradually folding them in.
4. A lil drop of the baking powder and a tiny pinch of salt were added to the sieved flour before it  gradually added to the batter with continuous stirring.
5. Two dessert spoon fulls of honey were added because my girl wanted a honey Christmas cake.
6. The baking pan is greased before pouring in the batter.
7. The pot has been on the fire before we started mixing, so, by now it is very hot ( A lil plate is under the baking pan, instead of sand as is normally done when baking in a pot. I prefer a plate under and not sand).
8. We baked until a tooth pick can go in and come out dry.

Dear Diary, I do not take cooking too seriously so, I do not go with the norm most times. I am interested in the outcome. Whatever method gives me great results, I go with it. 

The reason there are no measurements here is because the quantity of sugar given is always too much for my liking. I have been baking cakes for my kids for years now. I just weigh with my eyes and when I feel it is Ok, I go on with the cooking or baking. I guess I am a bit lazy when it comes to measurements. The consolation is that the cakes are for family consumption and because no one complains, I feel like I am getting it right.

Was very skeptical about the addition of honey but the girl insisted. To my surprise, it came out great!

The baking powder was a bit too much I guess, so the bursting of the cake testifies. 

People eat this cake and ask for more, even when I tell them it was baked with firewood.

The tip to place an aluminium saucer between the pot and baking pan was given by my Atibabes. The pot and baking pan have no contact as the pan is sitting on the saucer. This saucer covers the bottom of the pot and so helps to retain the heat from under the pot. Happy Celebration!