Two Rich Fruit and Nut Cakes
(0 votes)
(0 votes)
Difficulty:
easy
Difficulty
Preparation:
5 h. 25 min.
Preparation
ready in 17 h. 25 min.
Ready in
Ingredients
for
2
- Ingredients
- 3.333 cups Golden raisins
- 2 ¼ cups pitted, chopped Date
- 2.333 cups Currants
- 2.333 cups raisins
- ½ cup Candied cherry (rinsed and quartered)
- ½ cup Candied fruit (chopped)
- 6 Tbsps Brandy
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp grated Nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ginger powder
- 2 cups unsalted butter
- 2 cups dark brown sugar
- 8 eggs (beaten)
- 1.333 cups chopped, blanched almonds
Preparation steps
1.
Put the dried fruits, cherries and candied peel in a large bowl. Stir in the brandy, mix well, cover and leave to stand overnight.
2.
Heat the oven to 140°C (120° fan) 275°F gas 1. Grease 2 x 20 cm|8" round deep cake tins and line with greaseproof or non-stick baking paper.
3.
Sift both the flours, salt, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a bowl.
4.
Whisk together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the eggs until incorporated. Add a little of the dry ingredients if the mixture starts to look as if it is curdling.
5.
Gently fold in the flour mixture until blended, followed by the soaked fruit and almonds.
6.
Spoon into the tins. Smooth the surface of the mixture and make a slight dent in the centre, as the cake will rise slightly more in the centre. Tie a band of brown paper round the outsides of the tins.
7.
Bake for 4 1/2- 4 3/4 hours until cooked through. Cover with a double thickness of greaseproof or non-stick baking paper or brown paper, if the cake is becoming too dark as it cooks. Cool in the tins for 30 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
8.
Wrap in a double thickness of greaseproof or non-stick baking paper and store in an airtight tin, 'feeding' the cakes with brandy at intervals
