CakesMake aheadFruity bakesFruitBakingMother's Day
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
531Kcal
Fat
17gr
Saturates
10gr
Carbs
84gr
Sugars
65gr
Protein
6gr
Salt
0.5gr
Nancy Birtwhistle
Nancy Birtwhistle won the fifth series of the The Great British Bake Off. Now a grandmother of eight, Nancy's first recollection of baking was making Christmas treats with her own grandmother.
Nancy Birtwhistle won the fifth series of the The Great British Bake Off. Now a grandmother of eight, Nancy's first recollection of baking was making Christmas treats with her own grandmother.
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Ingredients
1kg mixed dried fruit
100g glacé cherries, washed, dried and cut into thirds
4 tbsp Cointreau, brandy, sherry or juice from the orange (after zesting)
250g soft salted butter, plus extra for greasing
250g dark brown soft sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup or black treacle
5 medium eggs, beaten
250g plain flour
1 tsp ground mace (or nutmeg)
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
finely grated zest of 1 orange
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
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Get ahead
This fruit cake will keep for at least 3 months wrapped in a double layer of baking paper and foil, stored in an airtight container
First thing in the morning, put the mixed fruit and cherries in a large bowl and add the Cointreau (or other liquid), stir and cover with clingfilm, then leave until the evening.
In the evening, grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm springform tin (unlike most fruit cakes, a single layer of lining paper is sufficient for this recipe, due to the low slow bake). Preheat the oven to 120°C, fan 100°C, gas ½.
Cream together the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until pale, light and fluffy. Add the syrup or treacle and continue to mix. Gradually incorporate the beaten eggs, a little at a time, along with a teaspoon of flour at each egg addition. This helps to prevent the mixture from curdling. When all the egg has been incorporated, gently fold in the rest of the flour, the spices and zests. Finally, fold in the soaked fruits.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, level the top and bake for 9-10 hours. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out without any sticky cake mixture on it.
Leave the cake to go completely cold before carefully removing from the tin
Make the cake in October and store in a tin until Christmas, then cover in marzipan and finish with royal icing. Alternatively, if you prefer a ‘naked’ cake, decorate the cake with 150g lightly toasted whole nuts. Gently heat 2 tbsp apricot jam and 2 tbsp brandy in a small pan and pass through a sieve. Cool slightly, brush on top of the cake and decorate with the nuts, then brush over more of the glaze.
RICH FRUIT LOAF
Make up half of the recipe (use 3 eggs) and divide between 2 x 450g lined loaf tins, then bake for 4-5 hours. These fruit loaves will keep well in a tin (although I often give one to a friend) and a slice is delicious with cheese. EACH LOAF SERVES 6-8 V
MINI CHRISTMAS CAKE GIFTS
Make a full quantity of the cake and bake in a lined 23cm square cake tin for 7-8 hours (the mixture is slightly shallower in a square tin). Store until Christmas, then cut into 9 squares, brush with 200g warmed and sieved apricot jam and cover each one in marzipan (2 x 454g packs) and ready-to-roll icing (1 x 1kg pack). Decorate with stars cut out of the icing (stick them on with a little cooled boiled water brushed on the underside) and tie a wide ribbon around the sides (you’ll need 3m in total).
MAKES 9 V
Chef quote
‘This is so easy to make, you’ll never buy a fruit cake again. I bake it “low and slow” so the finished cake is really moist. You don’t even need to “feed” it with alcohol, although feel free to do so if you like that boozy hit!’
Feeding the cake is a matter of personal preference but it is a good idea to feed it shortly after baking, while the cake is cooling in its tin. Then you can feed the cake one a week or once a fortnight. Use 1-2 tablespoons of alcohol each time and it may help to use a skewer to poke some holes in the cake first.
Wrap each cake in several layers of cheesecloth and then in plastic wrap.Store the cakes in airtight containers in a cool dry place, but not in the refrigerator or freezer. Check carefully at least once a week, as rich, moist cakes mould very easily. If you see any mould, throw out the cake.
Like most rich fruit cakes, it benefits from a maturing period and being fed with some extra alcohol, though in the book it is suggested that the keeping time is 6 weeks and generally we suggest if keeping the cake for longer than this then the cake should be frozen as it will keep for a year.
For best quality, a fruit cake that is tightly wrapped with aluminum foil or saran warp can be stored for up to 1 month in a cool, dark pantry, 6 months in the refrigerator, and 12 months in a freezer. Check often for signs of spoilage, and if mold or off-odors develop, discard the cake.
Q: Why do cakes crack when baking? A: Oven too hot or cake placed too high in oven; the crust is formed too soon, the cake continues to rise, therefore the crust cracks.
Other good choices of booze include brandy, rum, or whiskey. Feel free to use one or a mix of these to best complement your fruitcake. Once you've chosen the liquor, bake the cake, poke holes throughout the whole thing, and pour a few tablespoons of the alcohol over it. Or, you can brush the cake with the alcohol.
The amount of times you feed you a fruitcake will depend on how strong you want the flavour to be. It's possible to overfeed your cake, which will make it stodgy and wet. Our advice is to feed it once after it's initially baked, then no more than four times during the maturation period.
Cakes crumble because they've dried out too much. From years of baking, I know that dry cakes happen for one of two reasons; using too much of your dry ingredients or over-baking your cake.
Sugar and alcohol create a hostile environment for microorganisms. One ingredient that bolsters fruitcake's longevity is alcohol, says Bryan Quoc Le, a food scientist and faculty research fellow at Pacific Lutheran University.
In a typical freezer, fruitcake can usually be stored for at least six months. Similar to regular storage, you'll want to wrap the fruitcake in plastic wrap, then wrap your cake in foil, and place your double-wrapped cake in an airtight container and in the freezer.
"In practical terms, this makes most fruitcakes extremely shelf stable, so they would be safe to eat for a long time – a really long time," Chapman says. "But it might taste pretty bad."
Fruitcakes are traditionally aged in a cloth wrapping of alcohol for at least five weeks. The alcohol preserves the cakes, fruits, and nuts within, and keeps everything moist.
How long can your cakes last? Our cakes are produced fresh daily in small batches and are good for 2 days when refrigerated. Do avoid keeping the cakes outside the fridge for more than 4 hours.
Introduction: My name is Gregorio Kreiger, I am a tender, brainy, enthusiastic, combative, agreeable, gentle, gentle person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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Prep time: 1 hr 
