Christmas Cake

I've made a christmas cake for the last few years now. Normally I used the Delia recipe but I always find it too dry and not massively nice. I love moist fruit cakes, so this year I decided to throw caution to the wind and ask my lovely twitter friends for their christmas recipes. The lovely @penguin_physio shared her tried and test family recipe. So about 2 months ago I set about baking this year Christmas cake to the following recipe.

Christmas Cake Recipe

By Trompetto – Chef at the savoy – London

For the cake you will need: 

8 inch loose bottom cake tin lightly buttered & dusted in flour and lined base

Cooling rack

Large mixing bowl or mixer

wooden spoon

preheat oven at 170c 

8oz Butter

8oz Caster Sugar

4 Eggs

8oz Plain Flour

8oz Sultanas

4oz Currants

4oz Raisins

2oz Blanched Almonds

2oz Chopped Mixed Peel

2oz Cherries

1/2oz Mixed Spice

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 orange

One teacup of equal parts Rum and Brandy

Mix together butter, sugar, lemon and orange juice then add eggs one at a time until all added. Add sifted flour and spice and stir then gently fold in fruit.Pour into greased and flour dusted tin. Covering the top for first hour with loose grease proof paper prevents burning, also cover the outside of the tin with a magazine will help prevent over cooking.

Bake a1 170°C for 30 mins. Turn down to 120°C for 3-3 ½ hrs. Test with skewer after 3 hours to check it is cooked it should come out clear when it is.

Leave to cool in the tin and turn out when cold. Gently pour mixed spirit over the bottom over a couple of hours . Wrap in tin foil and store in a tin for a couple of months,  Improves with keeping.

When ready, brush cake with warmed apricot jam before covering in marzipan. Brush the marzipan with rum then cover with rolled royal icing and decorate as you wish.

This is my cake from this year.