Ok so maybe i am a little biased. We have made this every year since i was little. I say 'We' because even when i couldn't reach the work top i helped make it, especially cleaning the bowl of mixture haha. We make the fruit cake now, and feed it with brandy over the course of the next few weeks. Nearer Christmas we ice the cake ready to tuck into when festivities start.
A previously made Christmas Cake...with little penguins!
For now the recipe is how mine is made at this point in time. Once we start adding Brandy and the Icing i will update the posts. You could make it all in one go, but we like to let the cake age and get full of delicious brandy yum yum!
We made two one year and i took one into work, everyone loved it! If you love fruit cake / Christmas cake then this recipe is for you! Happy Baking and keep checking back for the updates!
Christmas Cake Recipe
(Fruit Cake only no Icing as of yet)
8 ounces currents
10 ounces sultanas
10 ounces raisins
7 ounces glacé cherries halved
8 ounces plain flour
Pinch of Salt
1/2 level teaspoon of ground cinnamon and the same for mixed spice
8 ounces butter/margarine
8 ounces soft brown sugar
Grated rind of two lemons
4 eggs beaten
2 tablespoon brandy
How To
Firstly this cake is actually easy to make. I'm no Master Chef but its really simple. The most simple tip i have for you is get yourself prepared before you start adding everything into one bowl, if everything is measured and seperated out then you can just dump it all in and presto cake made!
1) The night before you bake, mix all of your fruit into a bowl and add the brandy. This lets it soak overnight and will smell delish in the morning (oops makes me look like a morning alcoholic!)
2) Get your butter in a seperate bowl and let it get to room temp, if
you are short on time pop it on low in the microwave. Don't let it
curdle though!
3) Pop your flour, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice in a little bowl, and do the same for your eggs (crack em and whisk em!).
4) Add your brown sugar to the butter and grind your lemon peel in. This gives the cake a real zesty taste. Give it a good mix so your brown sugar and lemon are mixed with the butter.
5) Add your eggs. Note it will look a little bit gross but persevere i promise. Then gently add your flour mix (check there are no lumps!) and then fold these together and your mixture should look like below!
6) Once folded together you can then add your fruit mix (mmm brandy!), mix together so your mixture and fruit are blended together. You want to make sure all of your cake has fruit in haha (ala picture 2).
7) Cake made! Easy huh? Now we put some newspaper on a shelf in the oven. Scoop the mixture into a grease proof tin that is wrapped in two layers of brown paper tied with string. You have to make a hollow (like a little crater) in the centre of the cake. Don't ask me why the recipe says so! See pictures below for how we do it.
8) Pop in the oven at 140c (fan oven) gas mark 2, and cook for 1 hour 30 mins. At this point you need to cover the top of the cake, so ensure you have cut some baking parchment circles prior to this so you can just pop them on top.
9) Leave to bake for another 2 hours 15 mins
WARNING your house will smell like amazing cake baking hehe!
Lick any remaining mixture out of the bowl....don't judge me! You have to....it tastes amazing!
So it doesn't look amazing when it comes out ...Test it with a cake tester to make sure its cooked. Believe me it will taste gorgeous.
Leave on a rack to cool. If you have a air tight tin to leave it in then place him in there, wrapped in grease proof paper, until he is ready to get his marzipan and icing layers added. You could ice him now....but think of all the brandy he wants to drink!
Keep an eye out for the updates! He is going to have some Brandy 3 times before Christmas. We will be marzipanning ours around the 21st December and Icing on Christmas Eve. Follow my blog to ensure you don't miss them. Christmas is coming! Make Cake!
* Update*
So the Brandy feeds are optional. We always do it to give it more of a punch. I guess it is up to your preference. Below is an example of how we "feed" the cake.
Take him out of his wrapping. Using a cake tester (the one that tells you if a cake is cooked) make little holes around the top of the cake. Pour your Brandy in a little measuing jug and then pour a little bit of brandy in every hole you made. No one will notice the holes as you are going to ice the cake. But obviously don't make them huge as you don't want to damage the cake, thats why using a cake tester is good!
Mmm i can't wait to ice him! Yum Yum!
* Update*
The Final Product..we finally got round to doing this on Xmas Eve, nothing like cramming it all in at once! Marzipanned, covered in icing sugar and decorated (optional but cute!) Phew! Merry Christmas!
