| Preparation Time | 30 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Oven Temp | 160°C |
| Oven Setting | Classic Convection |
Christmas (fruit) Cake
The number of servings this recipe gives is dependant on the size of the slices you cut. It's a rich recipe so a small piece is usually enough, and as such, it goes a long way.Ingredients
- 1kg mixed dried fruit
- 1 bottle brandy (or port or red wine)
- 250g butter
- 6 eggs
- 1¼ cups plain flour
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 Tbsp caramel (nestle Top & Fill works well or use dark brown sugar above instead)
Method
- Place the fruit in a bowl, cover with the entire bottle of brandy, port or wine and soak at room temperature overnight.
- Preheat the oven.
- Line a 23cm straight-sided cake tin or 2 x 17cm cake tins with 2-3 folds of newspaper and baking paper. As the cake takes 2-3 hours to cook, you'll need to prevent it from burning by lining the tin well.
- Line the cake tin (see how to line a fruit cake tin)
- Cream the butter & sugar for about 8-10 minutes till light in colour and creamy.
- Add the caramel, then the eggs, one at a time.
- Continue to beat till all the ingredients are well combined.
- Drain the fruit and add it to the mixture.
- Finally add the flour, mixing well. Make sure all the flour is incorporated.
- Place the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 2-2½ hours.
Issue 10 - First Principles Cookbook
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First Principles
The Basics Cooking Handbook