Home > Just for you > Easy Christmas Cake Recipe > Page 2

Easy Christmas Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS

    • 175 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter – chopped
    • 210 g (1 packed cup) light brown muscavado sugar
    • 400 g (2 ⅔ cups) mixed dried fruit
    • 200 g (1 cup) glacé cherries – roughly chopped
    • 100 g (1 cup) dried cranberries
    • zest and juice of 1 orange
    • zest of 1 lemon
    • 120 ml (½ cup) cherry brandy
    • 85 g (½ cup) ground almonds – coarsely ground – not the type that is like flour
    • 3 large eggs – lightly whisked
    • 200 g (1 ⅔ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
    • ½ tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp ground mixed spice
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice

To feed the cake:

  • cherry brandy – (1-2 tbsp per week)

INSTRUCTIONS

    • Take a large saucepan pan and add the butter, sugar, dried mixed fruit, glacé cherries, cranberries, orange & lemon zest, and juice and all but 4 tbsp of the cherry brandy.
      175 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter,210 g (1 packed cup) light brown muscavado sugar,400 g (2 ⅔ cups) mixed dried fruit,200 g (1 cup) glacé cherries,100 g (1 cup) dried cranberries,zest and juice of 1 orange,zest of 1 lemon,120 ml (½ cup) cherry brandy
    • Heat on a medium heat until the mixture comes to a gentle bubble, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool for 30 minutes.
    • Preheat the oven to 150C/300F (fan) and line a 20cm (~8inch) spring-form round cake tin (with a removable base) with baking parchment (I find it’s easier to line the sides first so they’re about 2″ above the cake tin, then cut out a circle for the base and push it in).
    • Add the ground almonds into the slightly cooled fruit mixture and mix, then stir in the eggs.
      85 g (½ cup) ground almonds,3 large eggs
    • Add the flour, baking powder, and spices and fold together until everything is just combined.
      200 g (1 ⅔ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour,½ tsp baking powder,1 tsp ground mixed spice,1 tsp ground cinnamon,¼ tsp ground allspice
  • Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth flat with the back of a spoon.
  • Bake for 45 minutes, then turn down the heat to 140C/275F (fan) and cook for a further 1-1+½ hours, until the cake is dark brown on top and an inserted skewer comes out clean (note: if you’re using a gas oven, the cake may take 15-30 minutes longer to cook). Cover the top of the cake with foil if it starts to darken too much.
  • Take it out of the oven, and whilst it’s still hot, use a skewer to make about 10-12 holes all over the cake.
  • Pour the 4 tbsp cherry brandy all over the top of the cake.
  • Leave the cake to cool in the tin. then remove it and wrap it in a double layer of baking parchment and then in a double layer of foil. Place in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • Feed with 1-2 tbsp cherry brandy once a week up until a few days before you marzipan and ice the cake.
    cherry brandy