A fruit cake doesn’t need to be baked months in advance and fed with alcohol. If you need a cake at short notice, try this rich fruit Christmas cake recipe. The cake can be cut and enjoyed straight away – and is delicious eaten when it is just out of the oven! This rich fruit recipe is quick and easy to prepare and perfect for a last minute Christmas cake.
If you are looking for other Christmas items to bake see my home made Mince Pies, Shortbread, Fudge or Chocolate Truffles – I make loads of these every year and often give them as gifts.
Use pre-soaked fruit if you can get it, you won’t need to soak the fruit in brandy overnight. Look out for already prepared dried mixed fruit soaked in brandy in the supermarket around Christmas time.
Alternatively, it doesn’t take long to soak your own fruit but you do need to be more organised and prepare it the day before you want to bake your cake. Simply place your dried mixed fruit in a bowl and pour the brandy over, stir well and cover. Leave overnight for the fruit to absorb the brandy.
You will need to line your tin with baking paper but I don’t bother to wrap the outside with a double layer of brown paper like my mother used to do, if you keep the oven temperature low enough (I bake at 120C fan) and use a good quality, heavy tin the outside shouldn’t overcook.
When ready to make your cake, simply melt the butter and golden syrup together then add this, along with the remaining ingredients to the prepared dried fruit.
Stir well then spoon into the prepared tin(s) and level the top. Bake at 120C (fan) for 2 – 3 hours, checking occasionally whilst cooking. If the top of the cake gets very brown but the inside is not cooked then gently cover the top of the cake with a piece of baking paper greased with a little butter. The cake is cooked when you can press in the centre and it will spring back again – you do not leave a dent where you have pressed. You can also test with a metal skewer or cake tester- insert it in the centre and remove. If there is no cake mixture on the skewer then the cake is ready.
Remove the cake from the oven and immediately pour the additional brandy over the top. Doing this while the cake is hot will add moisture to the cake, whilst allowing the alcohol to evaporate.
To decorate the top of the cake make a brandy glaze with 1 tablespoon smooth apricot jam and 1 tablespoon brandy – mix together until combined. Brush a layer of the glaze over the top of the cake then cover with your choice of dried fruit and nuts. Brush the remaining glaze over the top of the fruit/nuts and finish with a layer of baking paper and ribbon around the side.
Rich Fruit Cake
Equipment
- 1 6" round deep cake tin (about 4" deep) or 2 x 1lb loaf tins
Ingredients
- 1350 g pre-soaked dried mixed fruit including cherries
- 50 ml brandy in addition to the brandy for soaking
- 200 g butter
- 200 g soft brown sugar
- 25 g golden syrup
- 4 large eggs
- 195 g plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons spices you can use any combination of spices you like, I usually use half a teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, cloves and ginger
Instructions
- If you cannot get pre-soaked fruit you can use 1 kg dried mixed fruit, 250 g glace cherry halves and 100 ml brandy instead. Mix these all together in a large mixing bowl and leave overnight for the fruit to plump up and the brandy to be absorbed.
- Line your cake tin. If using a 6" round tin cut a 6" round circle of baking paper for the base (draw around the tin and cut out) and cut a strip at least 4 1/2" wide and long enough to go all around the sides. Grease the tin with some softened butter to hold the liner in place. If you are using loaf tins then I would recommend buying liners to fit your tin. If you don't have a loaf tin liner you can line it with two strips of baking paper, with each strip going down one side, across the bottom and up the other side. Extend the paper 1/2" over the top of the tin all round.
- Preheat the oven to 120C (fan). Melt the butter and syrup together – I do this in the microwave on full power in 30 second bursts, stir well until completely melted but not too warm.
- Add the eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and spices to the soaked fruit along with the melted butter and syrup. Stir well until well combined and spoon the mixture into the lined tin. Spread the mixture evenly in the tin and level the top.
- Bake until cooked through. This will take about 2 – 3 hours for a 1 lb loaf tin or 4 – 5 hours for a 6" round. Check the cake every hour or so to make sure the top is not overcooking – if the top looks too brown but the middle is wobbly and raw then cover the top with a piece of greased baking paper to prevent over-browning.
- The cake is cooked when you can press gently in the middle without leaving a dent. The cake will spring back if it is cooked through. You can also test with a metal skewer or cake tester – insert it fully into the centre of the cake, if the cake is cooked there will be no mixture remaining on the skewer after removing.
- Once the cake is cooked, remove from the oven and immediately pour the extra brandy evenly over the top. The cake will sizzle as the alcohol evaporates and leaves behind the moisture and a mild flavour. This means the cake does not need to mature. Allow to cool completely in the tin.
- Your fruit cake can be eaten straight away or kept for up to 6 months. To store the cake, wrap the cooled cake in a layer of baking paper, then a layer of foil. Place in an airtight container or tin and store at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.