Christmas Cake……Your Gonna Love This
Ingredients
8” X 4” Deep tin
Overnight Soak Mix
380Currents
200g Sultans
300g Raisins
95g Glace Cherries
90g Mixed Peel
75g Brandy/ Apple Juice
Next Day
285g Plain Flour
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Mixed Spice
1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
30g Ginger Preserve ** optional
285g Light Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Treacle
285g Unsalted Butter
5 Large Eggs
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 Lemons Zested
2 Orange Zested
Method
Pour all of your dried fruits into a bowl with the liquid of your choice and leave to soak up overnight
Begin by lining your tin and preheating your oven to 140C/120C Fan/275F/ Gas 1
Cut 2 long pieces of string and put them into water.
Cream together your sugar and soft butter in the mixer for around 2 mins until they are light and fluffy. To this, we are going to add all of the other ingredients into the bowl including the soaked fruit and any liquid remaining. Once everything is in the bowl mix all together on low until fully combined. I would mix for 30 seconds, then scrape down and then mix again for 30 seconds. Now pour the mix into your tin.
Fold over parchment paper so that it is the height of the tin. You need enough to go all the way around the tin, so if you are using pre-cut sheets you will need 2, if not cut it to the correct circumference. We double it as we don’t want the sides to get too hot, we are protecting the sides of the cake. Fold this around the cake tin, I use the lip to tuck it under so it doesn't keep falling off. Take the string from the sink, without removing the water from it and tie the paper into place, you may need to wrap it around twice, then secure.
Pour in the batter
Then take a circle of parchment, enough to go over the top and hangover. Drape this over the top and take the last piece of wet string and secure this in place, I make folds so I can hold it down, or call for more arms!! Secure this with a bow and cut off any parchment hanging. Using a knife cut a cross in the middle of the paper to let the steam out, be careful not to rip the rest of the paper top. This is now all protected from the oven and can be placed on the bottom shelf for 4 1/4 hours. I check mine with a skewer to see if it comes out clean, it can take up to 4 and half hours.
Once baked, leave to cool then turn onto a cooling rack. Cover in more parchment and store in an airtight container. Feed with brandy fortnightly using a skewer to make holes allowing the cake to drink…. It gets thirsty!!! But 2 tablespoons will keep it happy.
Coat with apricot jam, marzipan and fondant then serve.
