Description
A classic rich and moist Christmas cake packed with dried fruits, almonds, and warm spices, soaked with cherry brandy for a festive flavor. Perfect for holiday celebrations, this cake benefits from weekly feeding with brandy to enhance its depth and moisture.
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 for feeding and soaking
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
Other
- 3 large eggs lightly whisked
Instructions
- Prepare Fruit Mixture: In a large saucepan, combine the unsalted 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.
- Simmer Fruit: Heat the mixture over medium heat until it reaches a gentle bubble. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Cool Fruit Mixture: Remove the pan from heat and let the fruit mixture cool for 30 minutes to bring down the temperature before mixing with other ingredients.
- Prepare Cake Tin: Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F) fan. Line a 20 cm (8 inch) spring-form cake tin with baking parchment, lining the sides so they extend about 2 inches above the tin, and the base with a separately cut parchment circle.
- Mix Almonds and Eggs: Add the ground almonds to the cooled fruit mixture and mix well. Stir in the lightly whisked eggs until combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift together the plain flour, baking powder, mixed spice, cinnamon, and allspice. Fold the dry ingredients gently into the fruit and egg mixture just until combined to avoid overmixing.
- Fill Cake Tin: Spoon the batter into the lined cake tin and level the surface smoothly with the back of a spoon.
- Bake Cake: Bake at 150°C (300°F) fan for 45 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 140°C (275°F) fan and continue baking for another 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the top is dark brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cover the top with foil if it browns too quickly.
- Soak Cake with Brandy: While the cake is still hot, poke 10-12 holes all over the surface using a skewer. Pour the reserved 4 tablespoons of cherry brandy over the holes to infuse the cake.
- Cool and Store: Let the cake cool completely in the tin. Once cooled, remove it 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.
- Feed Regularly: To maintain moistness and flavor, feed the cake with 1-2 tablespoons of cherry brandy once a week until a few days before you marzipan and ice it.
Notes
- Use a 20 cm (8 inch) spring-form cake tin for best results. A slightly larger (23 cm) tin can be used but will produce a thinner cake.
- If you prefer a square cake, a 20 cm round tin converts to a 17.75 x 17.75 cm (7 x 7 inch) square tin.
- Wrap and store the cake tightly in baking parchment and foil in an airtight container, away from sunlight at room temperature.
- The un-iced cake keeps well for 4-5 months at room temperature if stored properly, or can be frozen for up to a year.
- Always allow frozen cakes to come to room temperature before decorating or eating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
