Description
This traditional Christmas Cake is a rich, moist fruit cake soaked in cherry brandy, perfect for holiday celebrations. Packed with mixed dried fruits, glacé cherries, and warm spices, the cake is slowly baked to develop deep flavors and is ideal for marzipanning and icing after weeks of maturation.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit Mixture
- 175 g unsalted butter chopped
- 210 g light brown muscavado sugar (1 packed cup)
- 400 g mixed dried fruit (2 2/3 cups)
- 200 g glacé cherries roughly chopped (1 cup)
- 100 g dried cranberries (1 cup)
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 120 ml cherry brandy (1/2 cup) plus extra 4 tbsp to feed the cake
Dry Ingredients
- 85 g ground almonds coarsely ground (1/2 cup)
- 200 g plain (all-purpose) flour (1 2/3 cups)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large eggs lightly whisked
Instructions
- Prepare Fruit Mixture: Add the butter, brown sugar, mixed dried fruit, glacé cherries, dried cranberries, orange zest and juice, lemon zest, and all but 4 tablespoons of cherry brandy to a large saucepan.
- Simmer Mixture: Heat over medium heat until the mixture gently bubbles, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cool Mixture: Remove the pan from heat and let it cool for 30 minutes to slightly reduce temperature.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Tin: Preheat the oven to 150C/300F (fan). Line a 20cm (8 inch) spring-form cake tin with baking parchment, ensuring the sides extend about 2 inches above the tin.
- Combine Almonds and Eggs: Stir in the ground almonds to the cooled fruit mixture, then mix in the lightly whisked eggs thoroughly.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Fold in the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, cinnamon, and allspice carefully until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
- Fill Cake Tin and Bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake at 150C/300F (fan) for 45 minutes.
- Lower Oven Temperature and Continue Baking: Reduce the oven temperature to 140C/275F (fan) and bake for a further 1 hour and 30 minutes until the cake is dark brown on top and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cover the top with foil if it darkens too much.
- Feed Cake with Brandy: While still hot, prick 10-12 holes all over the cake with a skewer and pour the reserved 4 tablespoons of cherry brandy over it.
- Cool and Store: Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin. Remove, then wrap it in two layers of baking parchment and two layers of foil. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
- Weekly Feeding: Feed the cake with 1-2 tablespoons of cherry brandy every week until a few days before marzipanning and icing.
Notes
- Use a 20cm (8 inch) cake tin for a cake about 3.75 cm high; a 23cm (9 inch) tin yields a slightly lower cake.
- When converting to a square tin, use 17.75x17.75 cm for an 8 inch round, or 20x20 cm for a 9 inch round tin.
- Wrap the cooled un-iced cake tightly with double layers of baking parchment and foil, then store in an airtight container away from sunlight at room temperature.
- The cake keeps well for 4-5 months at room temperature when stored properly and can be frozen for up to a year.
- Always bring frozen cake back to room temperature before decorating or eating.
- You can cover the baking tin sides with the parchment about 2 inches above the tin to prevent over-browning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx 100 g)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
