Best Christmas Fruit Cake

Serves: 20-25

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Soaked fruit

300g / 10 oz raisins

150g / 5 oz diced dried apricots, chopped

75g / 2.5 oz mixed peel, diced

150g / 5 oz glace cherries, chopped

180g / 6 oz dates, diced

1 cup + 2 tbsp apple juice, or Cognac or Rum that can be mixed into 1/3 cognac or rum plus 2/3 juice.

For the Cake:

120g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter , softened

1 ½ cups dark brown sugar , packed

½ cup vegetable oil, canola or sunflower oil

3 tbsp molasses or golden syrup

½ tsp salt

½ tsp all spice

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

3 large eggs

½ tsp baking powder

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

¾ cup roasted walnuts, chopped (optional)

Serving Suggestions (Optiona):

500ml homemade pouring custard

White Christmas Cake decoration (Optiona):

250g roll-out bakers marzipan

250g roll out white fondant

Cherries dusted with icing sugar

Other Decorating Options (optional)

Cherries or other fruit dusted with icing sugar (on plain cake (looks very elegant)

Chef's Tip: this cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 months and about a year in the freezer. Make sure it's well wrapped.

Prep the Soaked Fruit:

Place the dried fruit in a large, microwave-safe container. Pour in the juice or brandy, ensuring the fruit is well coated. Microwave on high for about 1½ minutes, or until the liquid is hot. Stir to coat all the fruit evenly, then cover the container and let it sit for 1 hour. This allows the fruit to soak, plump up, and cool down.

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to: 160°C / 320°F (140°C Fan). Grease and line a 24cm cake pan with parchment paper.

With an electric mixer, cream butter & sugar. Beat on medium speed for about a minute, until smooth and creamy.

Then, add the oil and molasses, and mix until fully combined.

Mix in Dry Ingredients: Add the salt, spices, and baking powder, beating until fully incorporated.

Next, beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is just combined before adding the next Ingredient.

Stir in the flour until mostly blended. Then, fold in the soaked fruit (including any leftover liquid) and the walnuts, if using.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, cover with foil, and bake for 2 - 2 ½ hours. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes, checking after 30 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cooling:

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Allow it to cool completely before serving or decorating.

Serving Suggestions:

This cake is rich and flavorful enough to enjoy plain, but for a festive touch, consider the following:

Traditional Decoration (Optional) Cover the cake with a layer of marzipan, followed by white fondant.

Simple Decoration: Pile fresh cherries or other fruit on top, dust with icing sugar, and wrap a ribbon around the cake.

White Glaze: Use a plain sweet glaze, but without the lemon juice. Flip the cake upside down for a flat surface, then drizzle with the glaze.

Serve with homemade Custard (Optional)

Cutting:

For serving, slice the cake into thin wedges.