Description
A classic Christmas cake bursting with mixed dried fruits, cherries, and warm spices, soaked in cherry brandy for rich flavor. Perfect for holiday celebrations, this moist fruitcake is baked low and slow, then fed weekly with brandy to enhance its depth and tenderness.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit Mixture
- 175 g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter chopped
- 210 g (1 packed cup) light brown muscavado sugar
- 400 g (2 2/3 cups) mixed dried fruit
- 200 g (1 cup) glacé cherries roughly chopped
- 100 g (1 cup) dried cranberries
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) cherry brandy (use all but 4 tbsp initially)
Dry Ingredients
- 85 g (1/2 cup) ground almonds coarsely ground
- 200 g (1 2/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
Other Ingredients
- 3 large eggs lightly whisked
- 4 tbsp cherry brandy to feed the cake after baking
Instructions
- Prepare fruit mixture: In a large saucepan, combine the butter, light brown muscavado sugar, mixed dried fruit, glacé cherries, dried cranberries, orange zest and juice, lemon zest, and all but 4 tablespoons of the cherry brandy. Heat over medium heat until the mixture gently bubbles, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cool fruit mixture: Remove the saucepan from heat and let the fruit mixture cool for 30 minutes to reach a warm but not hot temperature.
- Preheat oven and line tin: Preheat the oven to 150C/300F fan. Line a 20cm (8 inch) spring-form round cake tin with baking parchment, lining the sides about 2 inches above the tin edge and placing a circle at the base.
- Mix almonds and eggs: Add the coarsely ground almonds to the cooled fruit mixture and stir to combine. Then stir in the lightly whisked eggs fully incorporating them.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift together the plain flour, baking powder, ground mixed spice, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice and fold into the fruit and almond mixture gently until just combined.
- Bake the cake: Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake at 150C/300F fan for 45 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 140C/275F fan and bake for an additional 1 hour 30 minutes. The cake is done when the top is dark brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cover with foil if the top darkens too much.
- Feed the cake: Remove the cake from the oven and while still hot, use a skewer to poke 10-12 holes evenly over the surface. Pour the remaining 4 tablespoons of cherry brandy over the cake to soak in.
- Cool and store: Cool the cake completely in the tin, then remove and wrap tightly in a double layer of baking parchment followed by a double layer of foil. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Weekly feeding: Feed the cake weekly with 1-2 tablespoons of cherry brandy until a few days before you plan to marzipan and ice the cake to keep it moist and flavorful.
Notes
- Use a 20cm (8 inch) cake tin for about 16 servings; a 21cm tin works as well with slightly taller cake height.
- If using a 23cm (9 inch) tin, the cake will be slightly lower in height but cooks with the same time and temperature.
- A 20cm diameter round tin converts to a 17.75x17.75cm square tin for alternative baking shapes.
- Wrap and store the cake tightly with parchment and foil in an airtight container at room temperature, away from sunlight.
- The cake will keep well for 4-5 months stored this way; it also freezes well for up to a year if un-iced.
- Before decorating, always bring the cake to room temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 100 g)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
