A super Christmas fruit cake, enriched with brandy, that is best made in early November
Ingredients:
1lb. 2oz. (500g) currants
3 tablespoons of brandy
8 oz. (225g) sultanas
8 oz. (225g) raisins, stoned
6 oz. (175g) glace cherries
4 oz. (125g) candied peel, chopped
1 lemon
10oz. (275g) plain flour
10 oz. (275g) butter
half a level teaspoon of mixed spice
pinch of salt
half a level teaspoon of powdered cinnamon
10 oz. (275g) soft brown sugar
6 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
almond paste
royal icing
Cooking Instructions:
Wash the dried fruit in a sieve, under the cold tap, two days before making the cake
Drain and turn on to clean tea towel, pat dry then spread on kitchen paper to dry
On baking day, grease a 9 inch round cake tin, line with double greaseproof paper and re-grease
Tie a band of brown paper round the outside of the tin, to come 3 inches above the top
Put the prepared fruit, peel and cherries in a bowl and mix well
Grate the lemon rind
Sift together the flour, spices and salt then add, together with the grated lemon rind, to the
bowl of mixed fruit
Cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale, soft and fluffy
Break the eggs into a basin and whisk lightly with a fork
Add the whisked egg, 2 tablespoons at a time, to the creamed butter mixture, beating until well mixed each time before adding more egg
With a tablespoon, fold in the flour and fruit mixture; add a little milk if necessary to make the mixture soft enough to drop from the spoon when it's held above the bowl and shaken
Turn the mixture into the prepared baking tin, spread it evenly around the tin and make a dip in the center
Bake at the bottom of the oven at 300F, Gas Mark 2, 160C for about four and a half hours until the cake is golden brown and firm to the touch
To prevent the cake over-browning, cover with two or three pieces of brown paper after the first two and a half hour's baking
Test with a fine skewer, insert the skewer in the cake and when it is drawn out it should look quite clean
Allow the cake to cool in the tin
Before storing the cake, prick with a fine skewer and slowly pour the brandy over it
When storing the cake, wrap it in several layers of greaseproof paper, then wrap in foil or store in an airtight tin
Cakes made several weeks before Christmas will become darker in colour and richer in flavour
Decorate the cake with almond paste and royal icing (see Hookery Cookery Christmas Recipes