Rich Christmas Cake - No Feeding, No Faffing!

Janine Ogden
Sep 7, 2024
2 min read

Makes one 6" round cake.

Prep 30 mins plus fruit soaking time.

Bake time 5 hours.

I used to sell about 1000 various fruitcakes per year in the food hall of Doncaster market.

This recipe evolved over a few years to make it perfect for a business seller - there is no need to keep unwrapping, feeding and re-wrapping - time is money!

The secret is to soak the fruit thoroughly and way ahead of time, so all the booze you need is already in there - then it permeates through the whole cake as it matures.

Mature it for a month. It should keep well for about 6 months, depending on the alcohol content.

Rich Christmas Cake

Ingredients:

600g mixed dried fruits (of your choice - but I'd recommend 50% sultanas as the base, and no more than 75g mixed peel)

200g glace cherries (if you don't like them, sub with 200g any other dried fruit)

1tsp orange or almond essence

75ml brandy (you can sub for whisky, amaretto or rum. I have successfully used beer, cider, coconut rum, flavoured gin, earl grey and black tea - but the higher the alcohol content, the longer the cake will keep)

1/2 tsp mixed spice

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

175g butter, very soft

175g light brown soft sugar

175g room temp eggs, weighed in shells

175g plain flour

Method:

1. Mix the orange essence into the brandy.

2. Add 100g of the glace cherries to the dried fruits in a glass or stoneware/ceramic bowl. (If you are substituting a different dried fruit, put the full 200g into the bowl). Pour the brandy over, add the spices. Stir well and cover with cling film.

Leave to stand for at least 24 hours, but the longer the better - I used to leave it 2 weeks. Stir occasionally. The fruit should feel damp and squishy.

3. Double line a 6" round tin with baking parchment. Cut an extra disc with a 50p sized hole in the middle to protect the cake while letting steam out.

4. Preheat the oven to 100C.

5. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the softened butter and sugar.

6. Add the eggs, beat until smooth, then gently stir in the flour until just combined.

7. Give the fruit one last stir, drain off any excess liquid, then throw it into the cake mix. Don't kill your mixer - get a disposable glove on and mix it all together by hand.

8. Get it straight into the tin and smooth over the top. Scatter the remaining cherries over the top, or a few nuts if you prefer. Cover lightly with the other disc of parchment - don't press it down - and bake for approx. 5 hours in the middle of the oven. The top should spring back when lightly pressed in the centre.

9. Cool completely in the tin - this may take overnight, but don't wrap and store it until you are 100% certain that it's room temp in the centre. It will feel firm on top, but this will soften as it matures.

10. Wrap in a double layer of baking paper, then put into a large freezer bag or airtight tub. Store in a cool, dry place.