Fruit cake, Christmas cake, last minute

Name: Fruit cake, Christmas cake, last minute
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Yield: 24 serves
Ingredients: 1 kg mixed fruit; 250 gm dates; 250 gm butter; 275 gm brown sugar; 150 ml brandy or sherry; 150 ml juice; 100 ml molasses (optional); 1 lemon; 1 orange; 4 eggs; 300 gm flour, plain; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 Tablespoon mixed spice; 2 teaspoon cinnamon; 150 gm nuts (optional); 2 egg whites; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 420 gm icing sugar; 100 ml brandy; 200 gm caster sugar; 100 ml juice

User Reviews

5.0

6 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Servings
24 serves
Course
Cake
Cuisine
Australian, Canadian

Fruit cake, Christmas cake, last minute

Iris Warren

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This is an easy "boiled" fruit cake. It's the best kind of last minute cake because there is no beating or slow adding of ingredients. It's a classic Mum recipe that works every time you need a last minute fruit cake hack!

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Ingredients

Servings

1 kg mixed fruit this can include peel and cherries/2.2 lb
250 gm dates, dried chopped/8.8 oz
250 gm butter chopped/8.8 oz
275 gm brown sugar 1 1/4 cups/ 8.8oz
150 ml brandy or sherry 5.05 oz
150 ml juice orange and lemon
100 ml molasses (optional) or treacle, 3.4 oz, 1/3 Aus cup
1 lemon zest only (use juice above)
1 orange zest only (juice above)
4 eggs large
300 gm flour, plain or cake flour, 11 oz / 2 Aust cups
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon mixed spice
2 teaspoon cinnamon
150 gm nuts (optional) pecans or macadamias

White icing(optional)

2 egg whites
2 tablespoons lemon juice
420 gm icing sugar 3 cups/ 1 lb - just under

Syrup (optional)

100 ml brandy
200 gm caster sugar 6.8 fl oz
100 ml juice from the orange or lemon above 3.5 fl oz

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Instructions

Fruit Cake

Preheat the oven to 160C/ 320 F. Line a 23 cm (9.5 in) tin
Use a medium to large pot and add the mixed fruit and chopped dates, sugar, butter, molasses, zest, juice, vanilla and brandy (or sherry). And nuts if using
Turn the heat onto medium and stir until everything is melted together. Simmer for 2 minutes or until everything is shiny and nicely combined.
Set aside for 10 minutes to cool down.
Add 4 eggs straight into the pot on top of the fruit and stir to combine well
Whisk together the flour, spices and baking powder and then stir this into the fruit egg mixture till combined
Pour this into the cake tin. The baking time is about 3 hours. After the first and 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until just before the cake browns too much. Take out of the oven and cover with foil and cook for another hour (or so)
Take out of the oven and let cool completely.

Syrup (optional)

Put the brandy, water (or juice) and sugar into a pot and bring to a boil. Paint this onto the cake while it is in the tin and cooling. You will probably need to add approximately half of this syrup. This is optional.

White Icing (optional)

Put the egg whites into a very clean bowl with the lemon juice and whip till light and frothy and starting to thicken. Start adding the sugar mixing well between additions until all the sugar is added
Take the cooled cake from the tin and turn over so that the bottom is the top. Spread the white icing over the cake and decorate it. The icing will dry very quickly

Notes

Don't simmer the fruit for a long time. The resulting juice/ sugar mixture forms part of the cake base. You don't want to caramelise or cook it down too much. heat till all are well combined and no longer
Make sure that you let the fruit cool before adding the eggs.
The cake itself with out the icing will last for weeks as any fruit cake will. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to discourage any kind of mould.
It will keep well out of the refrigerator for several days if it is eaten within that time
The icing will only last 2-3 days before it starts to break down.