Deliciously Rich Fruit Cake
Serves: at least 12 people
Takes: Over 1 hour
Everyone needs a good tried and tested rich fruit cake recipe up their sleeve. Whether you feed it with brandy, marsala or alcohol of your choice is upto you, but make sure you make it a few weeks before you plan to eat it. It tastes much better if you let the cake mature, and if you are going to ice it then leave it to dry out around 1 week before so the icing sticks!
This is my go-to fruit cake recipe that I have perfected over the years. I use a 23cm round tin for the recipe, but you can make it square if you wish. Just use a 20cm square tin instead. It's deliciously rich and full of warming spices.
Ingredients
1 kg dried fruit such as sultanas, raisins and currants (mixture of any)
110g glace cherries
110g mixed peel
150ml alcohol such as brandy, marsala, sherry or orange juice, plus extra for feeding
225g unsalted butter
200g light brown sugar
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons marmalade
1 tablespoon black treacle
350g plain flour
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
good pinch of nutmeg
1 teaspoon mixed spice
Method
Mix together the dried fruit including the cherries and mixed peel in a bowl.
Pour over the alcohol or orange juice, cover and leave to soak for a few days.
Prepare your round (23 cm) or square tin (20 cm) by lining it twice with parchment paper so it comes at least 5 cm over the sides. Preheat your oven to 150°C/300°F/gas 2.
In a large mixing bowl start by creaming the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
Beat in the orange and lemon zest, and begin adding the eggs one at a time only adding the next one when the mixture is fully combined.
Stir in the marmalade and treacle.
Sift the flour with the salt and spices and add it into the wet mixture in batches until fully mixed together.
Spoon into the lined tin and bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for at least 2 hours. Check on it often and cover loosely with foil if the top is browning too quickly. It shouldn't take longer than 3 hours but insert a skewer to check it is cooked through - it should come out clean.
Skewer lots of holes in the top and add a few tablespoons of alcohol before double wrapping in foil and leaving to cool in the tin. The foil with trap any steam and keep the top soft and moist. Once completely cooled remove the tin and parchment and wrap in foil. Feed the cake with more alcohol once a week until you need it, remembering not to feed it for the final week if you wish to ice it. It will keep in an airtight container for at least a month.
