Anyone got a fruit cake recipe?

I have indeed, it was adapted from a Delia recipe by SJesus13's ex-MiL. I've made it for a few years and wouldn't make anything else now.


Christmas Cake

225g plain flour
Hint of salt
1 x 5ml spoon ground mixed spice
200g butter or very good quality soft margarine
200g dark brown sugar
2 x 15ml spoons black treacle (be liberal)
teaspoon vanilla essence
4 standard eggs lightly beaten
800g mixed dried fruit (be heavy handed and soak in brandy for a few days)
100g chopped mixed peel (optional)
150 g glace cherries halved
100 g ground almonds
3 x 15ml spoons brandy lacing (be generous)


Cooking time 3-4 hours
Oven 150C, 300F, Gas Mark 2

Grease 20cm 8" round or an 18cm 7" square cake tine and line the base and sides with double layer of greaseproof paper. A band of corrugated cardboard should also tied around the outside of the tin.

Sieve together the floor, salt and mixed spice. Cream the butter, sugar, treacle and vanilla essence together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, adding a tablespoon of the floor with the last amount. Fold in the remaining flour, then all the fruit and almonds. Turn into the prepared cake tin and make a slight hollow in the centre..

Bake in a cool oven for 3-4 hours, testing after 3 hours by inserting a skewer into the centre; when it comes out clean the cake is cooked. Remove from oven and leave in tin until cold. Make a few holes in the top of the cake with a skewer and pour brandy over the cake while it is still warm. Never take the greaseproof wrappings off until ready to marzipan the cake.

Wrap cake in greaseproof paper followed by foil and store. Never put foil directly onto the cake because it cannot breathe.

The whole cake can be made in the mixer (not processor) if it is just for a small cake as above but if I make large quantities I make the mixture up to the fruit stage in the mixer and then add fruit etc. by hand, dividing it if necessary.



Just for reference 3 quantities of the above will make one 12" square cake.

I can vouch for Mrs M's fruitcake recipe - I used it last Christmas and it was fab, so I also used it for my friends' wedding cake the week before last. It's gorgeous and really moist.

That's brilliant Mrs M, thank you! I'm going to make it tomorrow I think...except, where do you get corrugated cardboard from?

I cut a strip off a box of crisps (because OH is a greedy pig and bought 48 packets of seabrooks from Makro). Any box like that should do it. Or if you're really struggling you could use a long strip of greaseproof or brown paper folded over lots of times to make it thicker.

Do you have any boxes from Amazon or somewhere? That's what I use. ?

? HS.

? is exactly what it was Magic, it went down a storm. Though I had to sling the first one in the bin as I really didn't cook it for long enough (12 inch square, who knew it needed 6 hours?!) but I didn't realise til it was too late.

It's worth noting that this cake is also good when only made a week in advance ?

Ahh ok, great. I think we have some left over from H's beer trip to Costco.....I'll nick that.

Many thank you's!

When is the best time to make this if you want it to be a "christmas" cake?

Http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/the-classic-christmas-cake,1293,RC.html

This one is excellent - It was my wedding cake, my Mum's 60th cake, and every christmas cake I can remember since the year dot. It's much more moist than a rub-in method one.

I usually leave out the mixed peel because I don't like it much.

It usually provides a really nice flat cake that doesn't need much levelling off if you come to ice it.

Thanks HH - I'll take a look at that one too. Sounds good!

Hi,

Mrs M, how high is the cake for the recipe you posted? I'm looking for a recipe that will make a large cake (ideally 14in square) that is around 3in high.

Thanks,

Sam