Best Ever English Rich Fruit Cake
I've tried many recipes over the years but always come back to this one Its always consistent never dry and makes a really good base for christmas or wedding cakes marzipanned and can be iced with fondant or royal icing. It keeps for ages and is definitely better made at least 2 months in advance then wrapped in greaseproof paper and foil.
This recipe will make a decent sized 9" square or 10" round but if you need a different size mail me because it doesn't work if you doulble or halve the recipe.
currants 775g
sultanas 375g
raisins 375g
glace cherries 250g
flaked almonds 150g
1/2 lemon zest
plain flour 600g
mixed spice 1 tsp
cinnamon 1tsp
butter 500g
soft dark brown sugar 500g
beaten eggs 9
brandy
baking time 4 1/2 hours at gas mark 2 150c or 300f
dump all the fruit nuts and lemon zest in a big bowl with a good glug of brundy while you make the cake (no need to soak overnight)
sift flour and spices.
put butter and sugar into bowl and cream well until light and fluffy, add beaten egg a little at a time beating well after each addition add a tiny bit of flour each time to prevent curdling. gradually fold in the remaining flour lightly before dumping this mixture on top of the fruit and fold in really well. spoon the mixture into a deep tin prepared with a double layer of greaseproof paper and make a slight depression in the top of the mixture. wrap the tin in 2 layers of ordinary brown paper and stand on a baking try also with 2 layers of brown paper bake in the centre of the oven and about half way through cooking cover with a large sheet of thick card with a hole cut in the centre to stop the top overbrowning. continue cooking till a knife inserted comes out clean (this can take a bit longer than stated depending on your oven and the fruit) when cooked remove from the oven and drizzle with another 2 or 3 tablespoons of brandy while still hot. allow to cool completely before removing from the tin then ease the cake out (dont remove the greaseproof lining paper) wrap in another layer of greaseproof and then double wrap in foil. Now each week unwrap and drizzle with more brandy before re-wrapping. day before covering with marzipan unwran and remove liner turn cake upside down and drizzle with brandy one more time re- wrap. to marzipan brush on hot sieved apricot jam and marzipan, leave for 48 hours to firm and then ice with either royal icing or fondant. (if using fondant brush the marzipan with either vodke or gin).
try it i'm sure you will love this cake!!!!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Linda Wolff on
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Boy, Les 'gotcha' on that one, Katy! hahaha!
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Permalink Reply by Les Brown on
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Glenda I just brown paper the sort you can get from the post office for wrapping and posting parcels and the card I normally use is just the corrugated type from a packing box (I use the box my supplies come in when I order by post) just make sure that there's no tape or anything on it as it stinks something awfull when you cook it lol, and ant printing on the box should be face up just to be safe.
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Permalink Reply by Glenda Mendello on
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OK great! I am ready to tackle this one, thanks again.
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Your very welcome good luck not that I think for one moment you'l need it x
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Permalink Reply by Katy Nott on
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Tee hee - cheeky monkey, but right you are, wise one.
Les Brown said:lol nice try Katy but soooo much better when you do it yourself otherwise your never gonna cure your dry old cake issue hahahaha!!!!
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So it's been in the oven for 2 hours so far and is smelling divine. Raw mixture tasted excellent too. One of my weaknesses in life - I LOVE raw cake mixture!
However, Les, I think I am at some stage going to need quantities for a smaller cake lol! My amateur kitchen equipment struggled to cope with the amounts here - not to mention my aging wrist, trying to fold the fruit into the cake mix. didn't have a 9" square cake tin, so used an 8" square, jamming as much as I could in, but had quite a bit left which I have put into a very small round tin - fingers crossed.........
When you get time, absolutely no rush at all, I wouldn't mind having the amounts needed for say a 7" round - is that practical for this recipe? And you must have the patience of a saint doing all that tin preparation for the number of cakes you make!
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Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on
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You know Katy, I use to help my Mom line the tins with brown paper. It was my job to smear it well with grease, whatever type she used, can't remember now. It was like a assembly line!!! But I know in later years, she halfed her recipe without any problem. Made just enough for 2, perhaps 2 1/2 . She used loaf tins, the same as for banana bread etc. to bake hers. Honestly Katy, there is a small grocer here plus a local church that sells amazing fruitcake, homemade. It actually tastes just like my Moms. So as tempting as this recipe is, I probably won't make it. Don't make my Moms now, not when I can buy it. Plus, It would never make it to Christmas.... I love the stuff!!! Also when my Mom wrapped her cakes in cheesecloth, she used apple juice, never any booze. And later, she never bothered with that step either, cakes went straight into plastic wrap & tin foil and right into the freezer.
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Interesting June. I have to say, my Mum was wicked at fruit cake and, although she was a non drinker, I remember she always put brandy in the special occasion fruities. Neither she, nor I, have ever frozen a fruit cake, but always kept them wrapped in a tin. I guess the alcohol in them does the preserving. The Christmas cakes were always made x 2 and one went in the cupboard under the stairs for Simnel cake at Easter. All the wedding cakes - mine and my two brothers', top tier in the cupboard for 1st Anniversary. Same with Christmas puddings. In fact, I only make Christmas puddings every other year as I make two at a time and keep one in a dark cupboard, well wrapped for the next year. Tastes even better than the first one!
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I don't know how she "preserved" her cakes Katy without the alcohol??? But I don't remember fruit cake hanging around past Jan. I am thinking, like Les, she gave away as gifts, and probably for the church christmas bazaar. Remember tho the cakes went straight into the fruit cellar. I have a cellar, but it is not as dark or cold as my Moms was.
So that is why later on they were frozen I guess. If you're not using alcohol, they would go moldy in no time flat.
Funny, I cannot for the life of me remember if I had a wedding cake for my 1st marriage??? It was a big do, and my Mom did every tradition, including the trousseau tea! Don't remember cutting a cake???? I am sure if I did, she made fruitcake for one of the tiers?????
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Will try and get to it at the weekend Katy bit tied up at the moment rushing (as usual) to get a cake finished for Thursday, me and my big mouth!!!! showed one of my hairdressing clients a picture of sculpted my piggy cake that we made last week at classes and she said cool can you do a frog for next week and of course I said yes of course I can one of these days I learn to keep my big trap shut lol!!!! now i just need to work out how to do it!!
Flowers i can do no problem but it was my 1st ever attempt at a sculpted cake!!
know what you mean about making your wrists ache though aint arthiritis a joy!!! can you imagine the pain I go through doing a 16" cake owowowowow!!!!!
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No Les - I can't imagine the pain, must be ghastly. Your trouble is, you're just too nice saying yes to that at such short notice. I hope she's making it worth your while. Sounds like the classes are going really well - lucky bugger! You know, if you need tips on sculpting, Martin Brown is your man - he is awesome at it. But I bet you can do it anyway. Look forward to seeing it. DO NOT rush for the reduced ingredients, I won't need any time soon, just want to have it in my recipe book for next time. Cake looks like it came out fine - looks and smells delightful and I'm just dying to cut into it lol! Might try the smaller one at the weekend, just to make sure. Besides, hubby is dying to get at it.
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