Rich Fruit Christmas Cake Food

RICH BRANDY CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• The night before you cook this place all the fruit fruit peel and nuts into a bowl and soak for 12 hours in the brandy and orange juice; Stir every time you go into the kitchen!
• pre-heat oven to 275ºF/140ºC.
• Grease and line with greaseproof paper an 8 inch/20cm round cake tin.
• Sift the flour salt and spices into a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixtures fluffy.
• Beat the eggs and add them a little at a time.
• Fold in the flour and spices.
• Stir in the fruit that has been soaking along with any excess liquid.
• Mix in the treacle.
• Spoon into the cake tin and spread out evenly.
• Cover the cake with a double square of greaseproof paper with a small hole in the top.
• Bake the cake on the lower shelf for 4& 1/4- 3/4 hours.
• When the cake is cold wrap in double greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin.
• Feed the cake every two days for the first 2 weeks with a spoonful of brandy and/or orange juice and/or glacè cherry syrup.
• First poke little holes in the cake with a knitting needle or a skewer.
• Come Christmas you will have a very very rich fruit cake.
• Use royal icing to ice it or almond paste and royal icing, I don't like almond paste!

RICH FRUIT CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together the dried fruits, glace cherries, and orange zest. Pour over the Brandy and orange juice and mix well. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Stirring occasionally. Allowing all the fruits to soak up the brandy and orange juice.
• THE NEXT DAY
• Preheat the oven to 170c deg Fan assisted oven
• Grease and line 1 x 8 inch/20cm round deep-sided loose bottom cake tin with baking parchment. Line the outside of the tin with a folded sheet of brown paper. Tied with string. This will help prevent the edges of the cake from baking too dry and possibly burning.
• In a large separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt and mixed spice. Using your finger tips rub in the butter until you have a breadcrumb consistency.
• Add the sugar and ground almonds. Using your hands or a wooden spoon. Mix until well combined. Break up any remaining clumps of sugar and butter.
• Add the soaked fruit, eggs and treacle and gently mix together until everything is well combined. This part can be done a lot easier and quicker when using a good electric mixer with a large bowl.
• Pour the batter into the prepared tin making sure the top is level and smooth. Bake in the oven for 1hr 20mins. Then turn the temperature down to 160c Fan and bake for a further 55 - 60 mins or until the cake is fully baked. Testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean. To help prevent the top of the cake from over baking, you can place a sheet of baking parchment across the top and over the cake.
• If the skewer still has uncooked mixture left on it, continue baking at the same temperature. Testing again every 10 mins until the skewer comes out clean.
• Leave in the tin to cool completely.
• Take out of the tin and leave the inner lining on the cake. Feed the cake with a couple of tablespoons of Brandy.
• Wrap in more baking parchment and feed every other day for a few weeks. Leave wrapped and in an airtight container until required.

EXTRA-FRUITY CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Put all the dried fruit, the mixed peel and citrus zests in a large bowl, the pour over the brandy. Stir, cover and leave to soak overnight.
• The next day, heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line the base and side of a deep 23cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, so it comes a few centimetres above the rim.
• Beat the butter, sugar and treacle together in a large bowl using an electric whisk, until pale and creamy. Alternatively, use a stand mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl every so often. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a separate bowl, then stir this into the wet ingredients along with the ground almonds until combined.
• Stir in the rehydrated fruit along with the soaking liquid, then spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for 2 hrs 25 mins-2 hrs 30 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.If the cake starts to darken too quickly, cover with foil.
• Leave to cool completely in the tin, then prick small holes all over the surface using a cocktail stick or skewer and brush over a little brandy. Wrap the cake in baking parchment, then a sheet of foil. Store in an airtight container and feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp brandy each week for three or four weeks, stopping the week before you want to ice it. Will keep in a cool, dry place for six months.

RICH CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Line a 8-inch round, or 7-inch square tin with 3 layers of paper.
• Having said that, I find it easier to line it with one, then wrap the OUTSIDE of the tin in several layers of newspaper, tied with kitchen string.
• Weigh and measure ingredients.
• Sift flour salt and spices.
• Cream butter and sugar.
• Gradually add the eggs to the creamed mixture.
• Mix well.
• It may look a bit curdled at this stage, but that's OK.
• Add the fruit, nuts, then the flour and liquid.
• Stir gently and thoroughly. I do this with my (clean) hands.
• Place in the prepared tin, hollowing out the centre a little to allow for rising.
• You can decorate the top with blanched whole almonds now if you wish.
• Bake in a 325°F oven (decreasing the temp gradually as the cake cook) for 3- 3 1/2 hours.
• When baked, leave in the tin for at least 10 minutes before turning out-until completely cold is better though.
• This is good made in about October, and stored wrapped in foil in an airtight container until Christmas.

CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates, and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 1/2 cup flour.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, then wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.

RICH FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• The night before, pour 75ml of the brandy over the fruit, cover and leave to sit, letting the fruit soak up the alcohol.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line a deep, 25cm square cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside, so that it comes about 2.5cm above the sides of the tin, and secure with string.
• Sift the flour, spices, cocoa powder and ½ tsp salt together. Mix a third of this mixture into the soaked fruit. Cream the butter, zests and sugar until light and fluffy, stir in the treacle, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in half the remaining flour mixture. Once mixed, fold in the fruit mixture followed by the remaining flour mixture.
• Spoon into the prepared tin, smoothing the top with a palette knife. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hrs 30 mins, checking the cake with 15 mins to go. When a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, it's ready.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 30 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. To store, peel off the baking parchment, poke holes into the cake and feed with the remaining brandy. Wrap well in cling film. Will keep for three months.