The Ultimate Christmas Cake

The Ultimate Christmas Cake

This is the festive showstopper of the season! Packed with fruits, spices, and a little brandy, it’s the perfect treat for your Christmas table. Let's get baking!

Ingredients

For the Cake

• Dried fruits:
  • 100g dried apples, chopped
  • 300g dried apricots, chopped
  • 200g raisins or sultanas 
  • 150g dates, chopped
  • 125g dried cranberries
  • 50g glace or crystallised ginger
  • 150g mixed peel
• Wet ingredients:
  • 1 cup brandy (to soak the dried fruit)
  • 425g can of diced pineapple, drained
  • 40g marmalade or apricot jam
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Zest of 1 orange
• Dry ingredients:
  • 420g plain flour
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • Pinch of salt
• Other ingredients:
  • 250g butter, softened
  • 250g dark brown sugar (or 125g dark + 125g light brown sugar)
  • 4 eggs

To Decorate

• Glacé cherries, whole almonds, or any nuts/fruits of your choice.

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Fruit (The Day Before)

1. Combine all the chopped dried fruits and the drained pineapple in a large bowl.
2. Pour the brandy over the fruit, mix well, cover, and let it soak for 24 hours.

Step 2: Prep the Cake Tin

1. Preheat your fan-forced oven to 140°C.
2. Line a large cake tin, something around 20–22cm round with two layers of baking paper. Make sure the paper is high all the way up the sides.

Step 3: Mix the Dry Ingredients

1. Sift the flour, spices, and salt into a bowl.

Step 4: Cream Butter and Sugar

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar together until pale and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.

Step 5: Combine Everything

1. Add the soaked fruit, and jam and stir to combine.
2. Fold 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter and sugar. Repeat this process in batches until everything is well mixed. It will take a few minutes, it may look a little dry but it is not, we will be feeding this cake later.

Step 6: Bake the Cake

1. Pour the batter into your prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula.
2. Decorate with glacé cherries, almonds, or your choice of toppings.
3. Place the tin on the middle or lower rack of your oven and bake for 4 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. (mine only took 3.5, but this is dependent a little on your oven and on the size of the cake tin) 

Step 7: Cool and Store

1. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the tin.
2. Once cooled, leave the baking paper on and store the cake in an airtight container for freshness, keep somewhere dark and cool.
3. 1 week later remove the wrapping and use a skewer to make holes over the top, and then add one shot of brandy, do this each week for 2-3 weeks, this will keep it nice and moist and boozy for christmas! Each time wrap it back up in to the box, and away in the cupboard.
4. Alternatively this cake is also great without soaking and you can eat it straight away with a bit of butter! YUM

This is the ultimate treat to make ahead for the christmas, its best to make it one month before and each week you feed it with 1 shot of rum, whisky or brandy. Also the dried fruits you can interchange to whatever you have or like, just so long as you have the weight.

Let the flavors develop and enjoy a slice on christmas day! 

Happy Baking,

Del x