Rooibos Infused Christmas Fruit Cake

I am reposting this delicious Rooibos Infused Christmas Fruit Cake as per the request of Jannat.  Please note: you can use any flavor tea of your own preference.
Rooibos is a broom-like member of the Fabaceae family of plants growing in South Africa’s fynbos.

Ingredients

1. 3 Rooibos tea bags
2. 375 ml boiling water**** see below
3. 375g (3cups) fruit cake mix
4. 100gr glace cherries
5. 125g butter
6. 225gr sugar (1 1/4cups)
7. 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
8. 250gr (2 cups) self-raising flour
9. 2 eggs slightly beaten
10. 100gr chopped walnuts or pecan nuts

Method

• Put the tea bags in a pot and pour the boiling water over them.
• Leave for a good 10 mins to infuse.
• Squeeze them out and throw them away, then mix the fruit into the tea.
• Boil together with the butter and sugar for approx 15 mins.
• Once boiled stir in the bicarbonate of soda and set aside to allow to cool.
• Set the oven to 170°C grease and line your square or round 22 cm cake tin with brown paper then grease again
• Once the mixture has cooled add the flour, beaten eggs and nuts and mix well.
• Spoon the mixture into tin and level the top.
• Bake for 1 hour, or until risen and firm to the touch.
• Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out to cool on a wire rack.
• Once cooled wrap in tin foil and then in cling wrap. Store in an airtight container.

• Tip: Cover the cake with tin foil if necessary towards the end of the baking time if you feel it’s getting too brown.
• Note**** I used 100 ml brandy and 275 ml boiling water.

• Alternatively, you can add some orange juice instead of the brandy.
  Note**** I feed the cake every week for 3 weeks leading up to Christmas with 2 tbsp brandy. Pour over the cake then re-wrap before finally icing the cake.

Fondant Icing and decorating

• Ice the cake with a thin layer of Marzipan and a layer of White Fondant icing.
• Store bought (Trumps).
• Over the cold cake apply some heated apricot jam with a brush then roll your marzipan thinly. Drape over the cake.
• Cut and trim your edges. Roll white fondant icing out and drape over the marzipan.
• Decorate with Christmas fondant cutouts and wrap a ribbon around the cake and you have one festive fruitcake.

Original Source: Gail Haselsteiner‎
Prepared, tried and tested by  Corlea Smit‎