Rich Fruit Cake

Rich Fruit Cake
Makes one 6 inch round/square

Ingredients:

650g mixed dried fruits
200ml brandy (or more according to personal preference)

170g butter
120g brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
½ tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp black treacle
190g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup/ 125 ml brandy


Method:

3 weeks in advanced: Place mixed dried fruits in a glass or ceramic mixing bowl. Pour brandy into bowl. Using a wooden spoon, mix well to make sure all fruits are moistened. Cover with lid or seal with cling film to prevent alcohol from escaping. Stand for 3 weeks at room temperature. Use a wooden spoon to stir up fruits every 3 days.

1. Preheat oven to 150 degC. Grease a 6 inch round or square cake pan with Wilton Bake Easy or Bake Release.
2. Sift flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add mixed spice and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In another mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add essence, golden syrup and black treacle; beat until ingredients are well combined. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl, add fruits.
5. Using a large spoon, fold in sifted dry ingredients alternately with brandy. Stir until ingredients are just combined and mixture is smooth.
6. Spoon into prepared tin; smooth surface with a wetted spoon. Tap the tin gently to settle mixture.
7. Wrap multiple thickness of parchment paper around tin and secure with paper clips.
8. Bake 2-2.5 hours for this size of cake, until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean. Leave cake overnight in pan before turning out.


Marzipan:

225g ground almonds
115g icing sugar, sifted
115g caster sugar
1¾ tsp Wilton Meringue Powder
35ml water
¼ tsp almond essence
Extra icing sugar for dusting


Method:

1. Combine ground almonds, icing sugar and caster sugar in a bowl and mix well.
2. Add meringue powder, water and essence to mix to soft but firm dough. Form paste to a ball.
3. Knead marzipan on a work surface lightly dusted with sifted icing sugar until smooth.


Apricot Glaze:

200g apricot jam
2 tbsp water


Method:

1. Place jam and water into a saucepan, heat gently, stirring occasionally until melted. Boil rapidly for about 1 minute. Strain through a sieve to discard skin and pulp. Use for brushing cakes before applying marzipan, or for glazing fruits on cakes.

Thnx, Jo. was looking for this. Can I use this recipe for wedding cake? TIA.

Hi Jo!

Thanks for sharing the recipe!

I think I have asked this before but...if not using alcohol, and using orange juice maybe instead, is the three week standing period still on or will it go "off"?

applemint_jackie wrote:Thnx, Jo. was looking for this. Can I use this recipe for wedding cake? TIA.

Of course you can.

I have ripen a fruit cake with orange + lemon juice before. It was actually a last minute order so what I did was soaked the fruit in orange + lemon juices for 1 night. Baked and kept sprinkling cake with juices every 6 hours or so as I was worried it would not be moist enough. It looked moist to me.

Hi Jo,

Why we should do the following step? Not really understand how to do it. Can you explain further here?

7. Wrap multiple thickness of parchment paper around tin and secure with paper clips.


Thanks!

michelle

Michelle,

I guess that is to help the cake rise evenly.

Jo,

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Fongpeng, Soo Chin is correct that the paper helps to distribute the heat for an even baking.

We had discussion on the types of cake tin strips recently, which is for the same purpose. Here is the link
http://mycakedecoclub.forumotion.net/sourcing-oh-sourcing-f28/where-to-get-cake-strips-t1631.htm

Yupe, the girls were right, it is meant for slowing down the heating of the pan and baking of the side of the cake. The parchment serves as an insulation.

Jo, I assume if one has the cake strips that can be used instead of parchment outside the cake pan? They both have the same function right?

Thanks everyone to provide a clear explanation to me

shimi wrote:Jo, I assume if one has the cake strips that can be used instead of parchment outside the cake pan? They both have the same function right?

Yup shimi, I've stopped using the parchment method for my fruit cakes since I got my cake strips. It works thought it takes longer time for cakes to bake.

Hi Jo,

I would like to ask if am going to use orange juice and lemon juice. should i soak it 3 weeks in advance too? and keep spraying 6 hrs to keep it moist?

The amount of Orange Juice and lemon also the same amount of Brandy?

Thanks in advance

I only soaked for overnight if it's the case for juices. Have not tried weeks though. After baking, I sprinkled the cake with orange + lemon juice just like how I do with liquer on fruit cakes. Amount....... don't normally measure it. I should say about half - 3/4 the height of fruits in a bowl as the idea is to get the fruits wet. I stir the fruits every now and then to make sure all fruits will have the chance of being 'soaked'. Hope this makes sense.