Christmas Fruit Cake step by step Recipe

Oh yeah! Do-do-do-oh! Santa Claus is coming to town!


Oh! You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town

I wish Merry Christmas to all of you!

Satisfy the sweetest tooth this holiday season with a deliciously easy Christmas cake recipe. Baking the Christmas cake is such fun and effortless. This traditional Christmas cake with all the dry fruits, nuts and spices is so fragrant while baking.
Involve your kids while baking the cake, you are sure to get memories that never fade. This is a British Fruit Cake, and the cake is repeatedly fed with alcohol (usually brandy, rum is also good).

This Fruit Cake recipe comes from Nigel Slater's 'The Kitchen Diaries' and it is by far the best one I have ever made. It is jammed with raisins, currants, dried cranberries, dried figs and prunes, dried apricots, and candied fruit and peel (candied fruit is preserved fruit that has been dipped several times in a concentrated sugar syrup). Nuts are also included as is ground almonds. Do try to make your fruitcake about three to four weeks before Christmas so you can brush it with alcohol several times and allow the flavors to mingle and age. This cake can be frozen so it might be a good idea to make two and then you can freeze one for later.



There are certain parts, that are not available at the later part of the year. Candied fruit are available only during Christmas time.

You need:

Butter - 8oz or 225 gms
All pupose flour - 225 gms
Brown Sugar - 225 gms
Eggs - 4 large
Currants - 16 oz
Sultanas - 8 oz
Raisins - 6 oz
glace cherries - 2 oz
mixed candied - 2oz
brandy - 3T
Almonds silvered-  2 oz
Large eggs - 4
nutmeg - 1/4 tsp
mix spice - 1/2 tsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
black treacle - 2 tsp
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
Whole Almonds - 25

Baking paper
Baking pan - 8 inch (I had only 9inch, so got thin cake)
2 Large bowls, 1 small mixing bowl
Beater
Spatula

Dry fruits to be soaked for 24hr

Brandy or Rum to be added to the dry fruits to soak

Mix the fruits after adding Brandy and let it rest for 24 hr

Beat the eggs nicely until fluffy

Prepare Baking liners for the pan

Line the Baking pan and butter at the bottom and on sides upto 2 inchs high

Add the spices to the bowl

Mix butter and brown Sugar and beat upto 5-10 mins

Add the beated butter- egg to flour

Add the soaked dry fruits to the cake mixture

Add Orange and lemon Zest

Add Silvered Almonds

Add the cake mixture to the prepared baking pan

Close with another prepared baking liner

After 4.5 hrs insert a skewer to check if cake is ready!

Prick holes with skewer and add some more Brandy if you like!

Love the cake! Looks like got lost in those preparation. Lets get into detailed process,
Preheat the oven to 280F.

1. Mix all the dry fruits in a bowl and add 3 T of Brandy (or Rum) and mix well. Set aside for 24hrs.
2. Prepare Baking pan, by placing baking pan upside down on a baking paper. Circle the outer edge with a knife and take out 2 circles. Butter the pans at the bottom and on the sides, and place one baking liner at the bottom.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs in another bowl and beat them well until a peak formed.
4. To the butter mixture, add the beaten eggs spoon by spoon. Beat the mixture as you add the beaten eggs to the butter.
5. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. To this add the sifted flour.
6. Now, fold in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Create a figure of eight movement with the spoon. This is done to keep air in the mixture.
7. Now add the soaked mixed dry fruits to it.
8. Then add the silvered almonds and zest of orange and lemon. Finally add the Black treacle. Fold the mixture nicely.
9. Black Treacle can be replaced by maple syrup or molasses. In US, we do not get Black Treacle, they are found mostly in European countries.
10. Once the mixture folded well, pour in to the prepared baking pan. Close with the baking liner.
11. Bake for 4.5 hrs at 280F.
12. Prick in the center with a skewer, cake is done when the skewer comes out clean. If not bake for another 30mins.
13. Remove once done. Prick on the cake slightly. And spoon in Brandy or Rum over the cake.

14. The cake does not require any icing. Decorate with almonds.

Where did that one piece go? It was silently eaten by Sundar!

Sending this to Pari's only Cookies and Cakes,  
Sangee's Bake fest