Christmas Cake
Prepare this fruit cake in advance and feed it regularly with rum, brandy or whisky to build the flavour and keep it moist
Ingredients
- 600 g mixed dried fruits use a mix of raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries, cranberries, prunes or figs
- zest and juice 1 orange
- zest and juice 1 lemon
- 100 ml brandy Sherry, whisky or rum, plus extra for feeding
- 180 g butter softened
- 120 g light soft brown sugar
- 110 g plain flour
- 65 g ground walnuts
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 65 g flaked walnuts
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
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Put the dried fruit, zests and juice, alcohol, butter and sugar in a large pan set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 mins. Tip the fruit mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool for 30 mins.
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Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside – tie with string to secure.
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Add the remaining ingredients to the fruit mixture and stir well, making sure there are no pockets of flour. Tip into your prepared tin, level the top with a spatula and bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hrs.
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Remove the cake from the oven, poke holes in it with a skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp of your chosen alcohol. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
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To store, peel off the baking parchment, then wrap well in cling film. Feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp alcohol every fortnight, until you ice it. Don’t feed the cake for the final week to give the surface a chance to dry before icing.
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