No English Christmas is ever complete without the traditional English fruit cake. If you are planning to dazzle your loved ones this Christmas, but you have no idea how, why not try the following cake recipe? It might seem too early to start thinking of what to bake for christmas but the truth of the matter is that the earlier you make the cake and start feeding it brandy, the better it will taste. The following recipe might look a little complicated but it is very easy to make. Below are the ingredients that you will need to make this cake.
INGREDIENTS:
525g currants
225g golden raisins or sultanas
300g all-purpose flour
165g glace cherries
110g mixed candied peel, chopped finely
½ level tsp. ground cinnamon
½ level tsp. mixed spice
6 large eggs well beaten
½ level tsp. ground nutmeg
300g soft brown sugar
Zest of ½ lemons
300g butter slightly softened
3 tsp. brandy and a little extra for feeding
METHOD:
Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Low temperatures are necessary. If you insist on high temperatures, the outside will burn while the fruit, sugar and brandy in the inside will be left uncooked.
Soak the dried fruit and halved cherries in alcohol for four to eight hours before you start mixing the cake. Make sure you also remove the eggs and butter from the fridge to allow them to warm up to room temperature. Soaking the fruit is beneficial as it hydrates them.
Butter the tin and double line it. On the outer side of the tin, add a double band of brown paper that will rise two inches above the tin. Place the tin ready on a flat baking sheet; this will make it easier to remove it from the oven.
HOW TO MIX THE CAKE
1. Take a very large bowl and cream the sugar and butter. An electric whisk is perfect for this job. Add the 6 eggs and add them spoon by spoon to the creamed sugar butter mixture. Stir in the lemon zest.
2. Fold in half of the flour and the fruit into the mixture of butter and eggs. After the first half is well mixed, add the second half. Finalize this by adding the brandy.
3. When the mixture is done, spoon it into the already prepared baking tin. Using a spoon and adding the mixture carefully will ensure there are no air pockets in the mixture.
4. Put the mixture in the oven and leave it to bake. After 2 ½ hours of baking, over the tin with parchment of greaseproof paper.
5. Your cake should be done after 4 ½ hours. To make sure it is, insert a skewer to the middle of the cake, if there is dough that is sticky at the center, then the cake is not done.
6. When it is done, remove from oven and allow it to cool for 2 to 3 hours. Once it has cooled off, prick the surface two or three times with the skewer and then pour two to three tsp. brandy. Repeat this weekly till Christmas.
The resulting traditional English fruit cake will be totally delicious!
Author : Maya is a professional cake decorater and a blogger. She loves cooking for her family and friends same as she loves writing about anything related to cooking and baking. She is currently working on a project for one of the leading wedding cake suppliers in Perth, Australia.