14
Using the Oven
Traditional fruit cakes
It should be remembered that ovens can
vary over time, therefore cooking times
can vary, making it difficult to be precise
when baking fruit cakes.
It is necessary therefore, to test the cake
before removal from the oven. Use a fine
warmed skewer inserted into the centre
of the cake. If the skewer comes out
clean, then the cake is cooked.
G
Do not attempt to make Christmas
cakes larger than the oven can cope
with, you should allow at least 25mm
(1 inch) space between the oven
walls and the tin.
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Always follow the temperatures rec-
ommended in the
recipe
.
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To protect a very rich fruit cake dur-
ing cooking, tie 2 layers of brown
paper around the tin.
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We recommend that the cake tin is
not stood on layers of brown paper,
as this can hinder effective circulation
of air.
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Do not use soft tub margarine for rich
fruit cakes, unless specified in the
recipe.
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Always use the correct size and shape
of tin for the recipe quantities.
Roast turkey
Roasting turkey involves cooking two
different types of meat - the delicate light
breast meat, which must not be allowed
to dry out, and the darker leg meat, which
takes longer to cook.
The turkey must be roasted long enough
for the legs to cook, so frequent basting is
necessary. The breast meat can be cov-
ered once browned.
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Always make sure that the turkey is
completely thawed and that the
giblets are removed before cooking.
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Turkey should be roasted at gas mark
4 for 20 minutes per 1lb, plus 20
minutes, unless packaging advises
otherwise.
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The turkey can be open roasted,
breast side down, for half of the cook
time, and then turned over for the
remainder of the cooking time.
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If the turkey is stuffed,
add
5 min-
utes per lb to the cooking time.
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If roasting turkey covered with foil,
add
5 minutes per 1lb to the cook-
ing time.
To test if the turkey is cooked, push a fine
skewer into the thickest part of the thigh.
If the juices run clear, the turkey is
cooked. If the juices are still pink, the
turkey will need longer cooking.
