Christmas is around the corner and no christmas celebration is complete without a fruit cake. Fruit cakes are usually made well in advance and they are fed with alcohol to mature. This enhances the flavor of the cake.

Made with dried fruits soaked in brandy and spruced up with spices, this cake is rich, moist and sinfully delectable.

Iam not a great fan of the candied fruits in the cake, so i used dried fruits which plumps up when fed with brandy and give s wonderful bite to the cake. Feeding the cake with alcohol keeps the cake moist and also gives it a long shelf life.

Making the fruit cake is pretty easy but the baking time is long. It takes a little longer to prepare than the simple cakes and also take a few hours to cook because the cake is baked at the low temperature which ensures an even baking.

Here is another fruit cake that i made few years back Butterless Rum Fruit Cake.

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RICH FRUIT CAKE

By Sathya Sankar 
Preparation time 40 minutes
Cooking time 3 hours 30 minutes
Makes 1 9-inch cake
      

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INGREDIENTS

• 250 g unsalted butter, softened
• 230 g soft brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 60 g self-raising flour

FOR FRUIT MINCE

• 800g sultanas (golden raisins)
• 320 g raisins, chopped
• 185 g currants
• 155 g dried cherries, quartered
• 250 g pitted prunes
• 250 g dried apricots, chopped
• 250 ml brandy
• 55 g soft brown sugar
• 80 g sweet orange marmelade
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1teaspoon mixed spice

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Grease and line a 9 inch round or square cake tin. (How to line a cake tin, see notes below)
• To make the fruit mince, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl,using a stand mixer attached with a paddle attachment or an electric beater, beat the butter, soft brown sugar and orange and lemon zests until just combined.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir in half of the soaked fruit mixture alternating with the all-purpose flour and self-raising flour, beating well after each addition, until the fruit mixture and the flours are well combined.
• Spread the batter evenly into the tin and tap the tin on a flat surface to remove any air bubbles. Dip your fingers in water and level the surface.
• Decorate the top of the cake with whole blanched almonds or silvered almonds.
• Bake the cake in an 300°F oven for 3-31/2 hours, or until a skewer inserted comes clean.
• Cover the top of the cake with parchment paper, seal firmly with foil, then wrap the cake and tin in a clean tea towel and leave it to cool.

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NOTES

How to line a cake tin:
Refer the link for more detailed instructions.

1. Lightly grease the cake tin. Fruit cakes need a double layer of baking paper for the collar and base. Cut two circles of baking paper, using the base as a guide.
2. To make the collar, cut a double strip of baking paper long enough to fit around the outside of the tin and tall enough to extend above the top of the tin (2inch).
3. Fold a 2cm deep cuff along the length of the strip, then make diagonal cuts up to the fold line about 1 cm apart.
4. Fit in the tin, with the cuts on the base, pressing them out at right angles so they sit flat around the base. Place the circles over the cuts.

• The fruits can be soaked in brandy few weeks in advance.
• Oven times vary, so check the cake 20 minutes before the specified time, if it is cooked a skewer should come out clean when inserted into the centre.
• IF the cake starts to brown before it is cooked, cover it loosely with foil.
• Fruit cake improve if kept for a few weeks wrapped in baking paper and foil or kept in an airtight container before decorating or cutting.
• United fruit cakes can be refrigerated for up to 3 months.

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