Christmas Cake Recipe

Ingredients :

225 g plain flour

15 g cornflour

15 g cocoa powder

3 tsp mixed spice

225 g butter or half butter and half margarine

225 g light brown soft sugar

finely grated peel of 1 washed and dried mandarin

2 tsp finely grated lemon peel

1 tsp finely grated grapefruit peel

1 tsp vanilla essence

4 Grade 2 eggs

675 g mixed dried fruit including peel

50 g glace cherries, chopped

50 g blanched almonds, skinned, lightly toasted, chopped

40 g walnuts, chopped

40 g brazil nuts or hazelnuts, chopped

1 tbsp liquid coffee essence or black treacle

1. Brush an 8" (20 cm) round cake tin with melted fat then line (even if non-stick) with greaseproof paper or non-stick parchment paper.
2. If using the former, brush with melted fat.
3. Tie a double thickness strip of brown paper round the outside of the tin to prevent cake from darkening too much or even burning.
4. Sift flour, cornflour, cocoa powder and mixed spice into a bowl.
5. In separate bowl, beat butter (or mixture of fats) with sugar, peels and essence until light and fluffy in texture; rather like whipped cream.
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, adding a tbsp of dry ingredients with each.
7. Stir in fruits and nuts.
8. Finally mix in remaining dry ingredients with the coffee essence or black treacle.
9. When evenly combined, transfer to prepared tin.
10. Bake 4 - 5 hours in very cool oven, 275F, Gas 1.
11. When ready, the cake should be a warm golden brown and firm to the touch.
12. To test for doneness, push a thin metal skewer gently into center.
13. If it comes out clean with no uncooked mixture clinging to it, then the cake is ready.
14. If not, return to the oven for an extra 20-30 minutes.
15. Keep in tin until lukewarm then turn out on to a wire rack and leave until completely cold.
16. Do not remove lining paper.
17. Wrap in greaseproof paper then over wrap in foil.
18. Store from 1-6 weeks before covering with Almond Paste Royal Icing.

Note :

Rich as all Christmas cakes are, this is an old friend of mine, packed with an assortment of fruit and three varieties of nuts.

If you like the above recipe Subscribe to our newsletter.

You can purchase the above ingredients here