Rich Fruit Cake                                                         For Christmas 2012

As we did the fruits yesterday and they are now soaked and steeped in the brandy
we are now going to continue with the rest.
Cooking time for the cake is 4 to 4 and a half hours.

What we need:

275 gr.  plain flour
1/2   level teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2   level teaspoon ground mixed spice

400 gr. softened butter
400 gr. dark muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar

5 Large Eggs
65 gr. chopped almonds
1 tablespoon black treacle
grated rind of 1 lemon
grated rind of 1 orange

To decorate:
Blanched almonds
Red or natural glacé cherries,
rinsed, dried and halved.

2. (1. we did yesterda)
Pre-heat your oven to 140 c.
Grease a 23 cm deep round cake tin then line the base and sides with a double layer of baking paper.

3. Measure the flour, grated nutmeg, mixed spice, butter, sugar, eggs, chopped almonds, black treacle, and grated lemon and orange rind in a large bowl and beat thoroughly.
Fold in the soaked fruits, then spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread out evenly. Decorate the top with the blanched almonds (which i forgot but added later) and halved glacé cherries, pushing them lightly into the top of the mixture.

4. Cover the top of the cake loosely with a double layer of baking paper and bake in the pre-heated oven for 4  to 4 and a half hours, until the cake feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin then, when the cake is almost cold, turn out, peel off the paper and finish cooling on the wire rack.

5. Pierce the base at intervals with a fine skewer (or a saté stick) and feed with a little brandy.
Once the cake is completely cold, wrap it in a double layer of paper and then in foil. Store it in a cool place for up to 3 months, feeding at intervals with more brandy.

TIP: You can vary the fruit if you like but make the total weight the same as in the recipe.

And now i am going to wrap it up and store it in a cold spot in the shed.


                                                                 Until Christmas then.


                                                                          "Enjoy"