ach
person has their own list of 'must have' foods for Christmas. For me,
it is fruit cake; that wonderful combination of nuts and a variety of
dried and candied fruits with barely enough cake batter to hold it all
together. If you have ever made a British Fruit Cake you know that
what really sets this cake apart is how we repeatedly feed the cake,
over time, with alcohol (usually brandy, sometimes rum). This not
gives the cake a subtle brandy flavor and a lovely moist texture, it
also allows the cake to be stored for ages and ages. Of course, the
step of repeatedly brushing alcohol on the cake necessitates us making
it well in advance of Christmas. But with all the hustle and bustle of
the Christmas season, doing our baking several weeks in advance can
only be a good thing.
This recipe comes from Nigel Slater's 'The Kitchen Diaries' and it is by
far the best one I have ever made. It is jammed with raisins, currants,
dried cranberries, dried figs and prunes, dried apricots, and candied
fruit and peel (candied (or glacé) fruit is preserved fruit that has been
dipped several times in a concentrated sugar syrup). Nuts are also
included as is ground almonds. Do try to make this cake about three to
four weeks before Christmas so you can brush on the alcohol several times
and allow the flavors to mingle and age. This cake can be frozen so it
might be a good idea to make two and then you can freeze one for later in
the year.
Finally, if you are an
avid fan of fruit cakes and want to make them during the rest of the
year, it might be a good idea to pick up extra candied fruit during
the holiday season as it is hard to find other times.
Butter, or spray with a nonstick
vegetable spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) spring form pan with a removable
bottom. Line the bottom of the pan with buttered parchment paper. Also
line the sides of the pan with a strip of buttered parchment paper
that extends about 2 inches above the pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160
degrees C).
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or
with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape
down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the brandy, juice and zest
of the orange, and zest of the lemon. Then fold in the ground almonds,
chopped nuts, and all the dried and candied fruits. In a separate
bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder and fold this
into the cake batter.
Scrape the batter
into the prepared pan and place the spring form pan on a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to
300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and continue to bake the cake for
another 1 hour 30 minutes or until a long skewer inserted into the
center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Remove the
cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. With a
skewer poke holes in the top surface of the cake and brush with a
little brandy. Wrap the cake thoroughly in plastic wrap and aluminum
foil and place in a cake tin or plastic bag. Brush the cake
periodically (once or twice a week) with brandy until Christmas. This
cake will keep several weeks or it can be frozen.
Serves about 14 to 16
people.
Source:
Slater, Nigel. The Kitchen Diaries. Fourth Estate. London.
2005.
Fruit Cake:
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (110 grams) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (110 grams) dark
brown sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons brandy plus
extra for brushing the cake
Juice and zest (outer
orange skin) of one orange
Zest (outer yellow skin)
of one lemon
3/4 cup (65 grams) ground
almonds
1 cup (100 grams)
hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, or almonds, chopped
1 1/2 pounds (680 grams)
of an assortment of dried fruits (dried apricots, figs, prunes, etc.),
candied and chopped mixed peel, and glacé cherries (chopped into bite
size pieces)
3/4 pound (340 grams) of
an assortment of raisins, sultanas, currants, dried cranberries and/or
cherries
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