Christmas fruitcake recipe

Christmas fruitcake

Ingredients:

• 600g sultanas
• 400g raisins
• 200g currants
• 100g glace cherries, quartered
• 100g glace orange slices, finely chopped
• 80g glace ginger, finely chopped
• 290ml brandy
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 250g butter, softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• Pure icing sugar, to serve

Method of preparation:

Place dried fruit, glace fruit and 1 cup brandy in a large airtight container. Mix well. Cover and stand overnight or preferably for 1 week, stirring occasionally.

Lightly grease a 9cm deep, 20cm (base) square cake pan. Line base and sides with brown paper and baking paper (see note). Preheat oven to 150°C. Sift flours and spices into a bowl. Using electric beaters, cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add marmalade and 1 tablespoon flour mixture and beat until well combined. Using a large metal spoon, fold remaining flour mixture into butter mixture.

Add fruit mixture to butter mixture and stir until combined. Press into pan. Smooth surface. Tap base of pan on workbench to settle fruit and remove air bubbles.

Cover cake with 3 layers brown paper. Bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons brandy over cake while still hot. Wrap cake pan in a clean tea towel and allow to cool completely. Remove cake from pan and dust with icing sugar. Serve.

 

Notes:

If time permits, begin this 1 week ahead. You can make this cake up to 4 weeks ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil and store in an airtight container. Baking tips: Lightly grease cake pan. Line base and sides with double layer brown paper, then double layer baking paper, allowing a 6cm overhang at all sides. Position oven rack just below centre so cake sits in centre of oven.

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