Classic Christmas Cake

This is my original Christmas cake from the first book – a combination of my grandmother’s, my mother’s and a few tweaks from me.

 

Ingredients

For the pre-soaking:

450g currants (see Dried fruits note at foot of method)

175g sultanas (see Dried fruits note at foot of method)

175g raisins (see Dried fruits note at foot of method)

50g chopped glacé cherries (see Dried fruits note at foot of method)

50g mixed chopped candied peel (see Dried fruits note at foot of method)

100ml brandy

For the cake:

225g plain flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ level teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

½ level teaspoon ground mixed spice

225g dark brown soft sugar

4 large eggs

1 dessertspoon black treacle

225g spreadable butter

50g chopped almonds (skin on)

zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange

For feeding and topping:

Armagnac or brandy to 'feed' the cake

100g whole blanched almonds (only if you don’t intend to ice the cake)

 

Classic Christmas cake

Equipment

You will need a Delia Online 20cm Round Loose-based Cake Tin (or similar), greased, with base and side lined plus some baking parchment. Tie a double band of brown paper around the outside of the tin for extra protection.

Method

You should get the pre-soaking ingredients ready the night before you make the fruit cake.

Put all the fruits (see note at foot of method), in a bowl and mix them with the brandy, cover with a cloth and leave them to soak for a minimum of 12 hours. When you’re ready to cook the cake, pre-heat the oven to 140°C, gas mark 1.  Now all you do is sift the flour, salt and spices into a very large roomy mixing bowl then add the sugar, eggs, treacle (warm it a little first to make it easier) and butter and beat with an electric hand whisk until everything is smooth and fluffy.

Now gradually fold in the pre-soaked fruit mixture, chopped nuts and finally the grated lemon and orange zests. Next, using a large kitchen spoon, transfer the cake mixture into the prepared tin, spread it out evenly with the back of the spoon and, if you don’t intend to decorate the cake with marzipan and icing, lightly drop the blanched almonds in circles over the surface.

Finally take a double square of baking parchment with a 50p-sized hole in the centre (for extra protection during the cooking) and place this not on top of the mixture itself but on the rim of the brown paper. Bake the cake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 4 hours until it feels springy in the center when lightly touched. Sometimes it can take 30–45 minutes longer than this, but in any case don’t look at it for 4 hours.

Cool the cake for 30 minutes in the tin, then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

When it’s cold, ‘feed’ it by making small holes in the top and bottom with a cocktail stick and spooning in a couple of tablespoons of Armagnac or brandy, then wrap it in parchment-lined foil and store in an airtight tin. You can now ‘feed’ it at odd intervals until you need to ice or eat it.

Dried fruits:  We have discovered a supplier who will provide everything you need with superb quality, for example pinhead currants, which are smaller and contain fewer seeds, Lexia raisins which are made from dried Muscat grapes, whole candied peels and many others.