About US

20 Years of Home Baking

Patty and Sarah are a dynamic baking duo with a passion for preserving culinary traditions. Their experience in making traditional English Christmas cakes spans generations, as they’ve inherited a cherished family recipe that’s been perfected over time. From soaking the fruits in rum to blending the rich spices, Patty and Sarah approach each step with meticulous care and attention to detail. Their kitchen is filled with the warm aroma of molasses and spices as they mix the ingredients, ensuring that every cake is infused with love and tradition. With each slice of their Christmas cakes, Patty and Sarah invite you to taste the history and warmth of the holiday season.

Hi! We’re The English Cousins

Patty and Sarah’s journey into the world of traditional English Christmas cakes began with a serendipitous meeting in Newport, Rhode Island. Patty, a resident of Newport, had long been familiar with the festive traditions surrounding Christmas cakes but had never attempted to make one herself. Meanwhile, Sarah, Patty’s cousin from a distant branch of the family, decided to pay a visit to Newport during the holiday season.

Encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response, Patty and Sarah decided to turn their newfound passion into a business. They refined their recipe, perfected their baking techniques, and began shipping their English Christmas cakes to customers across the country. As the cakes reached more homes and garnered rave reviews, Patty and Sarah realized the joy they felt in sharing their traditions with others.

Today, Patty and Sarah’s English Christmas cakes have become a regional favorite, sought after for their rich flavors, moist texture, and the love baked into each bite. They take pride in continuing their family’s legacy and are grateful for the opportunity to bring a taste of tradition to families around the world during the holiday season.

Our Traditions

A History Of Our Cakes and Puddings

Christmas Pudding was originally called Plum Pudding, although it contains no plums: raisins and dried grapes were originally called plums.

Definition in the Oxford English Dictionary
A dried grape or raisin as used for puddings, cakes, in the 19th Century etc. This use probably arose from the substitution of raisins for dried plums or prunes as an ingredient in plum-broth, porridge, etc., with retention of the name ‘plum’ for the substituted article.

Christmas pudding is a steamed pudding traditionally served at Christmas with Rum or Brandy butter (Hard Sauce). The name Christmas Pudding is first recorded in 1858 in a novel by Anthony Trollope. During the Puritan reign in England, plum pudding was outlawed as “sinfully rich.”

Traditionally in England, small silver charms were baked in the Christmas pudding. A silver coin would bring wealth in the coming year; a tiny wishbone, good luck; a silver thimble, thrift; an anchor, safe harbor. Our Grandmother used silver sixpences, wrapped in a little grease proof paper, as children it was very exciting to find the coin and taking care not to bite it!

It is also traditional for everybody in the household to simultaneously hold onto the wooden spoon, help stir the batter for the pudding, and make a wish.

Patty and Sarah’s journey into the world of traditional English Christmas cakes began with a serendipitous meeting in Newport, Rhode Island. Patty, a resident of Newport, had long been familiar with the festive traditions surrounding Christmas cakes but had never attempted to make one herself. Meanwhile, Sarah, Patty’s cousin from a distant branch of the family, decided to pay a visit to Newport during the holiday season.

Encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response, Patty and Sarah decided to turn their newfound passion into a business. They refined their recipe, perfected their baking techniques, and began shipping their English Christmas cakes to customers across the country. As the cakes reached more homes and garnered rave reviews, Patty and Sarah realized the joy they felt in sharing their traditions with others.

Today, Patty and Sarah’s English Christmas cakes have become a regional favorite, sought after for their rich flavors, moist texture, and the love baked into each bite. They take pride in continuing their family’s legacy and are grateful for the opportunity to bring a taste of tradition to families around the world during the holiday season.