On the 26th November, it's Stir up Sunday - your "last" time to bake a Christmas cake or pudding and give it time to mature before Christmas. Although baking last minute works, the maturation does give extra satisfaction (and extra flavour hopefully!). This is the Christmas cake I've baked this year - obviously, it's not decorated yet as it'd be a bit early. However, I'm going to update the post after Christmas with those pictures.
In case any of you aren't aware, the traditional Christmas cake is a heavily fruit filled spiced sponge. It's made in advance and kept moist with brandy. I think there are a lot of lovers and haters of it in the UK, but this recipe tastes great honestly!! Things always taste better when you make them I think :) I've seen Christmas cakes covered with marzipan and fondant icing and eaten after the Christmas dinner, but I've also observed it being left without these coverings and served with cheese.
The recipe is very easy and versatile. The only step to remember is to soak your dried fruit in brandy (or another spirit of your choice if you dislike brandy - whisky or rum would both work well) overnight. This plumps the fruit up nicely to give a moist fruit-filled cake.
I baked this in a 20cm cake tin, but if you'd like a smaller but deeper cake, use a 15cm tin and bake for around 30-45 minutes longer.
Makes 1 20cm cake
Ingredients:
- 800g (4 & 1/2 cups) mixed dried fruit of your choosing (at least 500g should be raisins, sultanas or currants, ideally. I used around 200g of raisins, sultanas and currants, then added 100g dried cranberries, 50g dried figs and 50g mixed peel)
- 125ml (1/2 cup) brandy
- 125g (1/2 cup) softened butter or margarine, plus extra for greasing
- 125g (5/8 cup) dark soft brown sugar
- 130g (1 cup) plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 50g (3/8 cup) ground almonds
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- Pinch of salt
- 50g (1/2 cup) flaked almonds
- 50g (3 tbsp) finely chopped crystallized ginger
Method:
1. The day before you want to cook the cake, pour the mixed dried fruit, brandy and crystallized ginger into a large mixing bowl, and stir together briefly. Cover, and leave overnight.
2. Preheat your oven to 160c (140c fan)/320F/gas mark 3. Grease the base and sides of a 20cm circular cake tin with butter. Line the base and sides of the tin with greaseproof paper.
3. Cream the butter/margarine and brown sugar together until they are light and fluffy. In a separate bowl sift the plain flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and mixed spice.
4. Beat the eggs briefly, then add one egg at a time to the butter/sugar mixture, with a tablespoon of the flour. Beat well after each addition.
5. Pour the remaining flour mixture, salt and ground almonds onto the cake mixture. Fold in until no more flour speckles can be seen.
6. Add the soaked dried fruit, and flaked almonds onto the cake mixture, and fold in to evenly distribute the fruit.
7. Pour into the prepared tin and level. Bake for 60 minutes. At this point open the oven the door and cover the top of the cake with foil.
8. Bake for another 30 minutes. At this point, open the oven door and gently press the top of the cake - if cooked it should have a slight spring back. The cake is also cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean (i.e. no cake mixture is on the skewer, it won't be completely dry because of the huge amount of fruit). If the cake isn't cooked yet, close the oven door and check every 10 minutes until fully cooked.
9. Take the cake out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Once completely cool, press skewer holes all over the surface of the cake and brush over a tablespoon of brandy. Wrap well in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight container.
10. Every 2 weeks, brush two tablespoons of brandy over the cake.
About a week before Christmas, you'll want to ice the cake. I'll be writing a post about that nearer to the Christmas (as I haven't done this step yet with this cake!), but until then, follow this guide.
11. Enjoy!
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