Honour Christmas dessert traditions of the past and impress your guests with this amazing Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake.
Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake
You’ll need:
- 185g unsalted butter
- 165g (3/4 cup) firmly packed brown sugar
- 240g (1 1/2 cup) sultanas
- 170g (1 cup) raisins, chopped
- 150g (1 cup) currants
- 85g (1/2 cup) mixed peel
- 70g (1/3 cup) glace cherries, halved
- 3 slices glace pineapple, coarsely chopped
- 185ml (3/4 cup) brandy
- 2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1/3 cup water
- grated rind of 1 orange
- grated rind of 1/2 lemon
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon treacle
- 185g (1 1/4 cups) plain flour
- 35s 1/4 cup) self-raising flour
- 2 teaspoon mixed spice
- 160g (1cup) blanched almonds
Method:
- Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add sugar, dried and glace fruit, 1/2 cup of the brandy, bicarbonate of soda and the water. Increase heat to high. Stir for 3-5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low. Cook for another 5 minutes or until fruit is soft, stirring once or twice. Cover. Stand until cool.
- Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Grease a 20cm round cake pan. Line with a layer of brown paper then two layers of baking paper.
- Stir grated rinds, egg and treacle into fruit mixture. Sift together flours and mixed spice and stir into fruit mixture until combined. Spoon into prepared pan, removing any air pockets by lightly tapping pan against benchtop. Smooth top. Decorate with almonds.
- Bake for 2 hours or until lightly risen and golden brown, and a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Drizzle remaining brandy over warm cake. Loosely cover with foil and cool in pan before wrapping tightly in foil and storing in an airtight container until ready to serve.