Fred's Modern Life

The following is an evolution of my grandmother’s simple Xmas cake recipe.

It evolves every year depending on feedback so after 9 years of Christmas cake baking it’s pretty special. 

Here goes.

1) Prepare the fruit

Mix all the following together in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to soak for 12 hours. Stir a few times to make sure even coverage:

100g diced dried figs

100g glace cherries

150g candied peal

100g diced dried apricots

100g diced (stoned) dates

250g dried Sultanas or currants

100g dried cranberries

As much brandy as you think your family can handle (you will be giving it more), I do a couple of good glugs to get it going

Juice and Zest of one Orange

Juice and Zest of one Lemon

Extra Orange Juice, fresh, 1 big glass.

Half fresh ground nutmeg

Teaspoon Mixed Spice

Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger

2) Prepare the Cake mix

Mix together wet ingredients:

Cream together 4oz (115g) Margarine (I use salted, but if you use unsalted remember to add a pinch of salt to the dry ingredients) with 8oz (230g)  Dark Sugar until light an fluffy

Whisk together 4 eggs and then mix into the butter cream one spoon at a time

Separately seive 8oz (230g) self raising flour with some fresh nutmeg (to taste) and 1.5tsp Baking powder 

Fold (to keep the air in the flour) the seived dry ingredients into the whisked wet mix. Do not beat together as you will beat out all the air.

Fold in the stewed fruit mix, make sure to get all the juices. Add 1.5 Tbsp of Black Treacle (Golden Syrup or normal treacle will do if you can’t find the black stuff)

Add 100g almonds, 100g walnuts, 100g pecans (chopped or whole depending on your nut preferences!)

3) Bake the Cake

Set oven to 140’c,27f’f or Gas Mark 1. 

Line a suitably sized cake dish with greaseproof/silicone paper, make sure the paper is double thickness and comes above the rim of the tin a few inches.

Pour in mix and ensure evenly spread.

Place a circle of double thickness of greaseproof/silicone paper (with a small hole in the middle) over the mix to protect it.

Bake to 4 hours and DO NOT OPEN OVEN until at least this time has elapsed

After 4 hours check for readiness by gently touching the top if it springs back it’s probably done. If in doubt check by skewering centre and testing for wet mix on the skewer. An extra 30 mins might not harm if you fancy it.

Take out and cool.

4) feeding the cake

I prep my cake at least 5 weeks before Christmas (nowish) and then wrap in foil and place in a safe place.

Every few days take out and prick the base with a fork. 

Pour two capfuls of brandy evenly over the surface and then re-wrap and place safe again. 

Keep doing this to taste - if you don’t like it boozy do this only once a week.

5) Icing.

I mix up a thick royal icing (egg white, lemon, vanilla and icing sugar) one week before Christmas.

I place a thin layer of almond marzipan stuck to the cake with bitter marmalade.

I then pour only a little icing on the top (not all over the sides - but if it dribbles down it looks dead cool) and fork into icy peaks. 

Then decorate with fresh holly and a few left over whole nuts and cherries.

Voila. 

As it’s not iced yet, here’s a picture of the cake in it’s foil ready for feeding.

Why doesn’t Tumblr have a “smell” post option?