Dark fruit cake for Christmas
Chef:
This cake is rich, moist and dark, the bee's-knee for sharing with your in-laws at Christmas. Lots of of dried fruit, spices, eggs, flour, butter and the regular cast of ingredients.
Oh, and a hint of alcohol... for not only the cake, but the maker too !!!
Degree of difficulty: Medium
Cooking Time: Three hours
Hangover time: 2 days
You need:
450g currants
200g sultanas
200g raisins
100g glacé cherries
75g mixed candied peel
75g mixed chopped nuts
2 cups sherry
250g butter at room temperature
275g soft brown sugar
5 eggs at room temperature
grated rind of 1 orange
grated rind of 1 lemon
350g plain flour
5g ground cinnamon
2g cardamon
15g black treacle
100 ml brandy
100 ml Grand Marnier
2 Bottles Baileys Irish Cream
2 Bottles Grandfather Port
1 Bottle Creme De Manthe
4g mixed spice
Method:
Pour yourself a small glass of Port. Weigh out all the ingredients into suitable containers so they are at hand when needed.
Soak the fruit in 2 cups sherry overnight. Before starting mixing, make sure you've lined the correct tin and turned on the oven to 150 degrees Celsius (300 degrees Fahrenheit).
Top up your glass of Port.
Make sure the butter is left out of the fridge for a while before use, as this will help stop the mixture from curdling later when adding the eggs.
The eggs should also be at room temperature before using them and not taken straight from the fridge.
Make sure your mixing bowl, beater and machine are clean and ready for use.
Ensure glass is topped up with port.
Add the butter and sugars (and treacle) to the mixing bowl. Cream the butter and sugars (and treacle) together using the beater on a high speed until light.
Stop the machine and give the beater and bowl a scrape down using a plastic scraper.
Help yourself to a glass of baileys to ensure the taste is velvety and creamy.
Add the eggs slowly on a medium speed so as not to curdle the mixture.
Prepare the cook for the hard work, have another Baileys or Port. For those brave enough, have both...
Sieve the flour and spices together. Add the flour and spices gradually on a low speed. Have a sip whilst the flour and spices combine.
Stop the machine and scrape down the beater and bowl once more. Add the fruit gradually on a low speed.
If you like, you can leave the dried fruit to soak for a few days beforehand, with a little sherry or brandy etc.
Turn off the machine. Give the mixture a final turn with your clean hands or a wooden spoon to make sure it's properly mixed through.
Have another "sip" of the Baileys...
Add the mixture to the tin, leveling and smoothing the top with the back of a spoon.
Place into the middle of the oven at 150 Celsius (300 Fahrenheit) for about three hours.
Sit back, relax and polish off whats left of the Baileys, and progress to the Port when expired.
Check the cake after the alloted time using a skewer... (If bottles of Port have evaporated, best get an apprentice to handle sharp objects !!)
place the skewer into the middle of the cake: if it comes out clean, then the cake is done.
If it needs a little more time, pop it back in for another ten or fifteen minutes.
If you cant tell, pop it back in anyway, and enjoy another drop of Port.
Get the apprentice to remove from the oven, leave the cake in the tin on the top of the oven or on the side on a cooling rack to cool down.
When cold, tip the cake out of the tin and remove the first layer of paper, leaving the greaseproof on the cake...you may add your brandy, sherry or rum
to the cake and then wrap up in more greaseproof paper and then a sheet of aluminium foil.
Sit back, have another dirnk of whatever is left in the cupboard, or send the apprentice up to get some more
"sample" bottles. You never know when your going to need to make another cake...
Tips when making a Christmas cake
Rest for up to 3 months, top up stocks of medicinal Baileys and Port.
- Soak the dried fruit overnight in a little sherry or rum. Use one dessert spoon for each 500 grams of fruit
- Grandfather Port is the prefered option, yet other options are not frowned upon.
- Take care when lining the tin. Fit the greaseproof into the corners carefully for a good shape
- Before turning on the oven, have a Baileys for medicinal purposes, place a baking tin at the bottom and add approx one litre of water.
This will create a moist atmosphere and a better cake. If you use Creme De Manthe, the flavour shall be infused into the cake.- When the cake is cold, sprinkle over a tablespoon of soaking mixture (see below) for each 500 grams of cake
- Wrap the cake in greaseproof paper and foil, and store in a cool dry place. If you like, have another drink, feed again a week later with the soaking mixture
- Use roll-out icing for a quicker easier cake covering. Roll out on icing sugar. Brush marzipanned cake with a little sherry, drink the rest, the cake has enough alcohol in it already...
lay over the rolled out icing. Smooth the top and sides of the cake with your hands or a special smoother.
Enjoy the wait, it shall be worth it !!
