Rich Fruit Cake (Christmas)

Rich Fruit Cake                                                      Prep: 1 day before!
                                                                                 Cooking time: 4- 4  1/2 hours

I use this for Christmas, birthdays and all special occasions- it's a winner.

Start preparing the cake the night before you want to bake it, as the dried fruits need to be soaked in brandy so that they become plump, says Mary.

I started making this cake in November for Christmas and fed it brandy every other 2 weeks!
As you can see on the photograph everybody loved it!!!!

What do we need:

175 gr red or natural glacé cherries (Bigarreaux)
350 gr currants
225 gr sultanas
225 gr raisins
175 gr chopped ready-to-eat dried apricots
75 gr finely chopped candied peel (homemade)
 
4 tablespoons brandy (plus extra to feed the cake)
275 gr plain flour
1/2 level teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 level  teaspoon ground mixed spice

400 gr softened butter
400 gr dark muscovade 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


1. Cut the cherries into quartres, put in a sieve and rinse under running water. Drain well then dry thoroughly on kitchen paper. Put the cherries, currants, sultanas, raisins, apricots and chopped candied peel in to large bowl. Stir in the brandy, cover the bowl and leave in a cool place overnight.

2. The next day, preheat your oven to 140C. Grease a 23cm deep round cake tin then line the base and sides with a double layer of baking paper/parchment.

3. Measure the flour, grated nutmeg, mixed spice, butter, sugar, eggs, chopped almonds, black treacle and grated lemon and orange rind into a large bowl and beat to mix thoroughly. Fold in the soaked fruits, then spoon the mixture into your prepared cake tin and spread out evenly with the back of a spoon. Decorate the top with the whole blanched almonds and halved glacé cherries, pushing them lightly into the top of the cake mixture.

4. Cover the top of the cake loosely with a double layer of baking paper/parchment and bake in your preheated oven for 4- 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 your wire rack.

5. Pierce the base at intervals with a fine skewer and feed with a little brandy. Once the cake is completely cold, wrap it in a double layer of paper/parchment and then in foil. ( I also used a big tupperwarelike box to store it in). Store 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.

                                                                     "Enjoy"