Christmas or rich fruit cakes like these are relatively easy to make. The two main problems are shopping and cooking. I spend hours walking around the supermarket trying to get all the bits and pieces together, and the other is the cooking take it slowly, this cake takes at least 5 ½ hours.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 150 ml Whisky or Brandy
- 1 large lemon, zest and juice
- 1 large orange, zest and juice
- 4 tbsp runny honey
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- 200 g currants
- 200 g fat sultanas
- 100 g raisins
- 80 g mixed peel
- 200 g salted butter, at room temperature
- 200 g soft brown sugar
- 3 medium free-range eggs, at room temperature
- 200 g plain flour
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 40 g ground almonds
- 40 g nibbed or flaked almonds
- 80 g whole natural glace cherries
- 3 tbsp milk
For the top
- 2 tbsp smooth apricot jam, warmed
- 2 kg marzipan
- 600 g royal icing
Instructions
- The first job is to place the booze, lemon and orange zest and juice, honey and treacle into a bowl and whisk together well.
- Add the fruit and again really mix well, then cover and leave at room temp for 12 hours but best for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Wrap the tin in 2 layers of brown paper and tie with string, then line the 11" cake tin with at least two layers of greaseproof or silicone paper, leave at least 1½" above the tin.
- Pre-heat the oven to 150C, gas 2.
- Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat well until creamy no need to go mad.
- Add eggs together, slowly and gradually add slowly, then add the flour and mix well but do not overbeat.
- Next, add the spices, nuts, cherries and all the fruit and juices, stir in well.
- Carefully spoon into the tin, cover loosely with greaseproof paper and pop in the oven.
- Remove the top paper at about the 4½ hour mark.
- When cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 30 minutes. Then turn out and leave to cool overnight.
- Cover with marzipan at least ¾" thick and ice with royal icing, not sugar paste, at least three coats.
Add ingredients from Vickery TV straight to your favourite online supermarket
Nutrition Facts
Rich Fruit Christmas Cake
Amount per Serving
Calories
458
% Daily Value*
Fat
19
g
29
%
Saturated Fat
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
11
g
Cholesterol
23
mg
8
%
Sodium
64
mg
3
%
Potassium
285
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
65
g
22
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
51
g
57
%
Protein
7
g
14
%
Vitamin A
158
IU
3
%
Vitamin C
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
58
mg
6
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
