Clodagh's Christmas Cake
Makes 1 cake
INGREDIENTS:
450g currants
175g raisins
300g sultanas
50g glacé cherries
50g mixed candied peel
150ml brandy, plus extra for feeding
250g plain flour
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon mixed spice
225g unsalted butter
225g brown sugar
4 large eggs
70g blanched almonds, chopped
1 dessertspoon black treacle
grated zest of 1 lemon
grated zest of 1 orange
METHOD:
1. The day before you want to bake the cake put the dried fruit, cherries and mixed peel in a bowl. Mix the brandy as evenly and thoroughly as possible, then cover the bowl with a clean tea-towel and leave overnight or for at least 12 hours so that the fruit absorbs the brandy.
2. Preheat the oven to 130C/gas mark 1.
3. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin or an 18cm square tin with baking parchment. Tie a band of brown paper around the outside of the tin for extra protection.
4. Sift the flour, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl, lifting the sieve high to give the flour a good airing.
5. In a separate large bowl, using an electric whisk, whisk together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the creamed mixture a tablespoonful at a time. Keep the whisk running until all the eggs are incorporated; if you add the eggs slowly it is less likely that the mixture will curdle.
6. Fold the flour and spices into the mixture, using gentle, folding movements; do not beat the mixture so that you keep the air in. Fold in the fruit, peel, chopped almonds, treacle and the grated lemon and orange zests. (The treacle will be easier to measure if you remove the lid and put the tin in a small pan of barely simmering water.)
7. Use a large kitchen spoon to transfer the mixture into the cake tin, spreading it out evenly with the back of the spoon. If you don’t intend to ice the cake lightly drop the whole blanched almonds in circles or squares over the cake. Cover the top of the cake with a double square of baking parchment with a 25mm hole in the center to give extra protection during the long, slow cooking. Bake the cake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 4 hours. It can sometimes take up to 30–45 minutes longer than this, but in any case don’t look until at least 4 hours have passed.
8. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling. When the cake is completely cold ‘feed’ it by making small holes in the top and base of the cake with a cocktail stick or small skewer and spoon over a few teaspoons of brandy. Wrap the cake in a double layer of baking parchment secured with an elastic band and either wrap it in kitchen foil or store in an airtight container. If you wish, you can feed it at intervals until you need to ice or eat it.
