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Simmer-&-stir Christmas cake
Method
- Put
the butter, sugar, fruit, zests, juice and 100ml/3½fl oz brandy in a
large pan. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the butter has
melted. Reduce the heat and bubble for 10 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
- Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile,
preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2/ fan 130C and line a 20cm round cake
tin. Toast the nuts in a dry frying pan, tossing them until evenly
browned, or in the oven for 8-10 minutes - keep an eye on them as they
burn easily. When they are cool, chop roughly. Stir the eggs, nuts and
ground almonds into the fruit mixture and mix well. Sift the flour,
baking powder and spices into the pan. Stir in gently, until there are
no traces of flour left.
- Spoon
the mixture into the tin and smooth it down evenly - you will find this
is easiest with the back of a metal spoon which has been dipped into
boiling water.
- Bake
for 45 minutes, then turn down the heat to 140C/gas 1/ fan120C and cook
for a further 1-1¼ hours (about a further 1¾ hours if you have a gas
oven) until the cake is dark golden in appearance and firm to the touch.
Cover the top of the cake with foil if it starts to darken too much. To
check the cake is done, insert a fine skewer into the centre - if it
comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
- Make
holes all over the warm cake with a fine skewer and spoon the extra
4tbsp brandy over the holes until it has all soaked in. Leave the cake
to cool in the tin. When it's cold, remove it from the tin, peel off the
lining paper, then wrap first in baking parchment and then in foil. The
cake will keep in a cupboard for up to three months or you can freeze
it for six months
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