Bake this festive fruit cake in advance of Christmas and feed it regularly with rum, brandy or whisky to build the flavour and keep it moist
Prep:25 mins
Cuts into 12-15 slices
1kg mixed dried fruit (use a mix of raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries, cranberries, prunes or figs)zest and juice 1 orangezest and juice 1 lemon150ml brandy, Sherry, whisky or rum, plus extra for feeding250g pack butter, softened200g light soft brown sugar175g plain flour100g ground almond½ tsp baking powder2 tsp mixed spice1 tsp ground cinnamon¼ tsp ground cloves100g flaked almonds4 large eggs1 tsp vanilla extract
STEP 1Put 1kg mixed dried fruit, the zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon, 150ml brandy or other alcohol, 250g softened butter and 200g light, soft brown sugar in a large pan set over a medium heat.STEP 2Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 mins. Tip the fruit mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool for 30 mins.STEP 3Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside – tie with string to secure.STEP 4Add 175g plain flour, 100g ground almonds, ½ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp mixed spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 100g flaked almonds, 4 large eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the fruit mixture and stir well, making sure there are no pockets of flour.STEP 5Tip into your prepared tin, level the top with a spatula and bake in the centre of the oven for around 2 hrs. After 2 hrs insert a skewer into the centre of the cake to test if it’s done. If any wet cake mixture clings to the skewer, return the cake to the oven for another 10 mins then check again and keep cooking, checking every 10 mins until the skewer comes out dry.STEP 6Remove the cake from the oven, poke holes in it with a skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp of your chosen alcohol. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.STEP 7To store, peel off the baking parchment, and store in a cake tin. Feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp alcohol every fortnight, until you ice it.STEP 8Don’t feed the cake for the final week to give the surface a chance to dry before icing.
