Christmas cake is one of those wonderful bakes that’s better when you can make it ahead of time. Then, once the festive season gets busy, your cake is already in the cupboard, waiting for you, with all the hard work done.
Like most kids, I didn’t really like eating fruitcake when I was younger, but I always loved helping to make it. My sister and I would sit up at the kitchen bench with Mum while she put it all together. We never seemed to have a bowl quite big enough to stir everything together in, so we’d haul out a big stockpot and use that as our makeshift mixing bowl. It’s actually a great tip if your standard mixing bowl is a little too small for all your fruit and ingredients!
My sister and I were in charge of stirring the batter, although I suspect our little contributions didn’t amount to much, and Mum definitely did all the hard work.
As I’ve grown up, my tastes have changed, and fruitcake has become one of my favourite things to enjoy at Christmas. This recipe is a true make-ahead star. It gets better as it sits, so it’s perfect to make now and tuck away ready for the festive season.
Remember to brush the cake with alcohol every few weeks to ‘feed’ it. That helps to create the lovely moist texture. Then, when Christmas rolls around, all that’s left to do is sit back with a cup of tea and a slice of fruitcake and relax.
Cook’s tips
- Bake this cake 6–8 weeks before Christmas. As it matures, the fruit softens and the spices deepen, creating a beautifully rich, dark cake.
- Wrap the cake in two layers of baking paper, followed by a layer of foil. Store in an airtight container.
- Brush cake with 1–2 tablespoons of brandy or dark rum every 2 weeks until Christmas. Replace baking paper after each ‘feed’.
- Store in a cool, dark cupboard away from direct sunlight. If your home regularly reaches 28°C or higher, keep the wrapped cake in the fridge and return it to room temperature before feeding or serving.
Ingredients
Method
For the soaked fruit, combine the sultanas, raisins, currants, mixed peel and glacé cherries in a large bowl. Pour over the brandy or rum, stir well to coat the fruit, then cover and leave to soak overnight at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced. Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan and line the base and sides with one layer of brown paper and two layers of baking paper, extending the paper 5cm above the top of the pan. Making small snips at 1cm intervals in the brown paper helps it sit flat on the pan’s base
Sift the flour, mixed spice and nutmeg into a bowl, then stir through the almond meal.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat for 3–4 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. If the mixture begins to curdle, add a spoonful of flour mixture. Beat in treacle.
Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture using a large metal spoon or spatula. Add the soaked fruit, along with any remaining soaking liquid, and gently fold until evenly combined.
Spoon mixture into tin (step 6 pictured) and smooth the surface. Tap pan on the bench to settle ingredients (step 6A pictured). Arrange almonds on top, gently pressing them into the batter.
Bake for 3 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the cake or almonds begin to brown too quickly, loosely cover the top with foil during the final hour of baking. Leave the cake to cool completely in the pan before removing.
Once cooled, make several holes in the top with a skewer. Brush over 1–2 tablespoons of brandy or dark rum. Store according to the tips (right).
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