Traditional Rich Christmas Fruit Cake

This is my version of going about making the Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake. There are 4 steps in making your Christmas Cake. Soak fruits at least a month before Christmas. Bake Cake at least 2 weeks before Christmas. Mature the cake by feeding alcohol 3 times a week until Christmas. Decorate the cake.(This step is optional)
  • Passive
    2 weeks
  • Prep
    30 minutes
  • Cook
    1.5-2 hours
  • Servings
    20 People

Ingredients

  • 250 grams Soaked fruits in Rum (See recipe notes below)
  • 125 grams All-Purpose Flour (plus 3 tbsp extra for soaked fruits, see notes below)
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Fresh ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1/4 tsp Clove powder
  • 1/4 tsp Cinnamon Powder
  • 125 grams Butter
  • 125 grams Brown Sugar
  • 4 Eggs
  • 25 grams Almonds (chopped)
  • 25 grams Cashewnuts (chopped)
  • 1-2 tbsp Sugar Caramel or molasses (for a dark color for the cake)

Instructions

  • 1 Having soaked your fruits in rum for the past 2 months (I'm assuming that you have soaked the fruits mid/end October and that you will bake it 2 weeks before Christmas). Drain the fruits completely from rum before using it to bake. (See recipe notes below to soak your fruits). Add the 3 tbsp flour to the drained fruits and keep aside. (See recipe notes below).
  • 2 Mix in the flour, salt, spice powders together and keep aside. (PLEASE SEE: There is NO BAKING POWDER in this recipe ). In a bowl ,add brown sugar and butter and beat till nice and creamy.
  • 3 Add the molasses or the caramel.
  • 4 Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • 5 Add the flour along with the spice powders.
  • 6 Fold in the soaked fruits and add the nuts as well.
  • 7 Preheat oven at 150 deg C (300 deg F). Pour the batter in a baking dish lined with parchment paper.
  • 8 Bake for about 1.5 -2 hours till skewer inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool cake completely in the tin itself. Next day, remove cake from tin, poke holes on top of cake with wooden skewer or fork. Pour about 2 tbsp rum all over the cake and then wrap in cling film ( and then foil if preferred). This is called feeding the cake with alcohol. Repeat the feeding process every 2 days till 3-4 days before Christmas. (Stop feeding cake with alcohol)
  • 9 2-3 days before Christmas you can decorate the cake if desired. I decorate my Christmas cake with a layer brushed on top of cake with melted jam (apricot or mixed fruit jam) and cover cake with marzipan. (See recipe notes below for marzipan recipe). Then decorate with a soft royal icing or fondant. (icing recipes available on the internet).
  • 10 Cut and serve on Christmas eve! (See recipe notes below ).

Recipe Notes

  • Dried fruits (raisins, sultanas, candied orange peels, candied cherries, dates (dates, you can add them at the time of baking the cake, no need to soak them ).
  • Additional 3 tbsp flour is added to the soaked and drained fruits so  that your fruits do  not sink to the bottom of cake during baking.
  • There is NO BAKING POWDER in this recipe . This is a dense cake , doesn't require the rise in it.
  • Click here for Soaking your fruits in Rum.
  • Click here for Marzipan Recipe.

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