Description
This Christmas Fruit Cake is the kind of bake that fills the kitchen with amazing holiday aromas while it slowly comes together. I love that most of the flavour is built into the boiled fruit mixture first, so every slice is packed with soft fruit, nuts, spice and just the right amount of sweetness.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2.2 lb - 1 kg fruit mix
- 1 cup mixed chopped nuts
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup - 225 g butter
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup chopped red and green cherries
- 1 block dates, chopped
- 1 sachet bicarbonate of soda
- 3/4 cup brandy
- 4 cups Self Raising flour
- 2 heaped tsp mixed spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160⁰C (320⁰F).
- Grease and line a 25 cm cake tin with baking paper.
- In a large saucepan, add 1 kg fruit mix, 225 g butter, 2 cups brown sugar, 4 cups water, 3/4 cup brandy, 1 sachet bicarbonate of soda, 1 cup mixed chopped nuts, and 1 block chopped dates.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the fruit mixture to cool completely. Don’t rush this step, as adding eggs to a hot mixture can cause them to scramble.
- Once cooled, add 1 cup chopped red and green cherries, 6 eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, 4 cups self-raising flour, and 2 heaped tsp mixed spice. Mix everything well until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared 25 cm cake tin and smooth the top.
- Bake the Christmas Fruit Cake at 160⁰C (320⁰F) for 1 hour.
- Check the centre with a skewer, and if it doesn’t come out clean, continue baking for another 20 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before decorating.
- You can finish it with marzipan and fondant icing, or decorate it however you like.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Gail
