Traditional English Christmas Cake

OK, I admit...this is not the most dietetic food out there....fruitcake laced with brandy, homemade almond paste (marzipan), and sickly sweet fondant icing but it's a Christmas tradition for us Brits and I feel that the labor intensity of making it burns enough calories to at least allow me a thin sliver of it, or a large one! lol!

In the good old days when I had more time on my hands I would make this cake a month before Xmas (stir up Sunday is the traditional day to make Christmas goodies) but time is a huge factor now, so I was overjoyed to find this simple fruit cake recipe on the BBC food website (www.bbcgoodfood.com)....it doesn't require overnight soaking of the fruit and has no suet (animal fat...yuk) in it unlike other, more traditional recipes.

Simmer and Stir Xmas Cake....you will need scales for weighing...baking really requires more precision than volume measurements.....try an online kitchen store or a large kitchen supplier.

Ingredients

175 gm butter, chopped
200 gm dark brown sugar
750 gm mixed fruits (glace cherries, mixed peel, raisins etc)
finely grated zest & juice of 1 orange
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3.5 fl oz brandy plus more for pouring over
85 gm macadamia nuts
3 large eggs, beaten
85 gm ground almonds (I did this in the food processor)
200 gm all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 330 F.

Put the brandy, butter, sugar, fruit, zests, juice and 3.5 fl oz brandy in a large pan.
Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the butter has melted then reduce the heat and let bubble for 10 minutes. Stir once in a while. Then let cool for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, line your 20 cm/8 inch cake pan (high sided) with parchment paper inside on the bottom and at the sides. (See www.bbcgoodfood.com for instructions on how to do this).

Toast the nuts in a dry frying pan (don't let them burn)and when they are cool, give them a rough chop.
Stir the eggs, nuts, and ground almonds into the fruit mixture in the pan and mix well. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into the pan too. Stir gently until there are no traces of flour left.

Spoon the mixture into the cake pan and smooth it down evenly (use the back of a metal spoon dipped into hot water).

Bake for 45 minutes then turn down the heat to 310 F and cook for another hour to 1 1/4 hours until the cake is dark golden colored. Cover the cake with foil if it gets too dark. The cake is done when a fine skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Take the cake out of the oven and poke holes in it with a fine skewer. Leaving the cake in the pan, pour over about another 4 tbsps brandy and let it soak in. When the cake is cold, remove it from the pan taking off the parchment paper. Wrap the cake in clean baking parchment then in foil.

This cake should not be refrigerated (it's full of booze and sugar)..and it will keep in the pantry for about 3 months.

Will post the marzipan recipe next.......