Traditional Rich Christmas Fruit Cake

Soon is the time of year when the Christmas cake is the cake most people want to have a go at, or lend a
hand with as it's a fun cake for everyone.
Here is a recipe for a traditional RICH fruit cake if you haven't got one already....
Ive tried these chart recipes especially when I am making celebration cakes for weddings etc and they
work really well.
Cakes made well in advance which have been fed (with brandy, sherry etc) and allowed to mature make
the best tasting cakes.
The second recipe is for a Christmas cake which is slightly different. Try it and see for yourself.

The third recipe is for an uncooked fun Christmas cake.

Square Tin

13cm (5in)

15cm (6in)

18cm (7in)

20cm (8in)

23cm (9in)

25cm (10in)

28cm (11in)

30cm (12in)

Round Tin

15cm (6in)

18cm (7in)

20cm (8in)

23cm (9in)

25cm (10in)

28cm (11in)

Currants

150g (5oz)

225g (8oz)

350g (12oz)

450g (1lb)

625g (1lb)

775g (1lb 11oz) 1.2kg (2lb 8oz) 1.4kg (3lb)

Sultanas

50g (2oz)

90g (3.5oz)

150g (5oz)

200g (7oz)

225g (8oz)

375g (13oz)

400g (14oz)

Raisins

50g (2oz)

90g (3.5oz)

150g (5oz)

200g (7oz)

225g (8oz)

375g (13oz)

400g (14oz)

500g (1lb 2oz)

Glace Cherries (chopped) 40g (1.5oz)

65g (2.5oz)

75g (3oz)

125g (4oz)

150g (5oz)

225g (8oz)

275g (10oz)

350g (12oz)

Mixed Peel (chopped)

25g (1oz)

50g (2oz)

50g (2oz)

75g (3oz)

125g (4oz)

150g (5oz)

200g (7oz)

250g (9oz)

Blanched Almonds
(chopped)

25g (1oz)

50g (2oz)

50g (2oz)

75g (3oz)

125g (4oz)

150g (5oz)

200g (7oz)

250g (9oz)

Lemon Rind (grated)

Quarter of a
lemon

Half a lemon

Three quarters of
A whole lemon
a lemon

A whole lemon

A whole lemon

One & a half

lemons

Two lemons

Plain Flour

90g (3.5oz)

175g (6oz)

200g (7oz)

400g (14oz)

600g (1lb 5oz)

700g (1lb 10oz) 825g (1lb 13oz)

350g (12oz)

Ground Cinnamon
(optional)

2.5ml (Half
teaspoon)

2.5ml (Half
teaspoon)

5ml (1 teaspoon) 5ml (1 teaspoon)

Ground Mixed Spice

(optional)

1.5ml (Quarter
teaspoon)

1.5ml (Quarter
teaspoon)

2.5ml (Half
teaspoon)

Butter

75g (3oz)

150g (5oz)

Light Soft Brown Sugar

75g (3oz)

150g (5oz)

7.5ml (1.5
teaspoons)

30cm (12in)

15ml (3
teaspoons)

10ml (2
teaspoons)

12.5ml (2.5
teaspoons)

5ml (1 teaspoon) 5ml (1 teaspoon)

7.5ml (1.5
teaspoons)

7.5ml (1.5
teaspoons)

7.5ml (1.5
teaspoons)

175g (6oz)

275g (10oz)

350g (12oz)

500g (1lb 2oz)

600g (1lb 5oz)

800g (1lb 12oz)

175g (6oz)

275g (10oz)

350g (12oz)

500g (1lb 2oz)

600g (1lb 5oz)

800g (1lb 12oz)

Eggs (size 2)

1.5

Black Treacle (optional)

2.5

11

14

5ml (1 teaspoon) 5ml (1 teaspoon)

15ml (1
tablespoon)

15ml (1
tablespoon)

15ml (1
tablespoon)

30ml (2
tablespoons)

30ml (2
tablespoons)

30ml (2
tablespoons)

Approx Cooking Time at

150C /300F /Gas Mark 2

2 hours

2 hours 30 mins

2 hours 45 mins

3 hours 15 mins 3 hours 45 mins

Approx Cooked Weight

625g (1.5lb)

1.25kg (2.5lbs)

1.50kg (3.25lbs) 2kg (4.5lbs)

2.75kg (6lbs)

4kg (9lbs)

5kg (11lbs)

6.5kg (14lbs)

Brandy (added after

cooking)

30ml (2
tablespoons)

45ml (3
tablespoons)

45ml (3
tablespoons)

75ml
(5tablespoons)

90ml (6
tablespoons)

105ml (7
tablespoons)

120ml (8
tablespoons)

60ml
(4tablespoons)

4 hours 15 mins 5 hours 15 mins 6 hours

Method

Weigh out all the ingredients into suitable containers so they are to hand when needed.
Before starting mixing make sure you have lined the correct tin and turned on the oven. 150C / 300F / Gas mark 2
Make sure the butter is left out of the fridge for a while before use, this will help stop the mixture from curdling later when adding
the eggs. The eggs should also be at room temperature before using them and not taken straight from the fridge.
Make sure your mixing bowl, beater and machine are clean and ready for use.
Add the butter & sugars (and treacle) to the mixing bowl.
Cream the butter & sugars (and treacle) together, using the beater, on a high speed until light.
Stop the machine & give the beater & bowl a scrape down using a plastic scraper.
Add the eggs slowly on a medium speed so as not to curdle the mixture.
Sieve the flour (and spices together).
Add the flour (and spices) gradually on a low speed.
Stop the machine and scrape down the beater & bowl once more.
Add the fruit gradually on a low speed (if you like you can leave the dried fruit to soak a few days before with a little sherry or
brandy etc).

Turn off the machine.

Give the mixture a final turn with your clean hands or a wooden spoon to make sure it's properly mixed through.
Add the mixture to the tin, levelling & smoothing the top with the back of a spoon or wet closed fingers.
Place into the middle of the oven at 150C / 300F / Gas mark 2 for the time given above for your tin size.
Check the cake after the allotted time using a skewer. Place the skewer into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean then the cake
is done. If it needs a little more time pop it back in for another ten or fifteen minutes...if it starts burning then it's overdone or your
oven is too hot!!
Remove from the oven ...leave the cake in the tin on the top of the oven or on the side on a cooling rack to cool down.
When cold tip the cake out of the tin and remove the first layer of paper leaving the greaseproof on the cake...you may add your
brandy or sherry or rum to the cake and then wrap up in more greaseproof paper and then a sheet of aluminium foil.
Store in a cool dry place for a while to mature until needed for decoration.

TROPICAL FRUIT CHRISTMAS CAKE

WARNING: THIS CAKE IS SERIOUSLY RICH
Savarin Round Tin (Tin with a hole in the middle) 25cm (10in)
Candied papaya, pineapple and guavas

775g (1lb 11oz)

Dried apricots and candied kiwi

375g (13oz)

Candied mango

375g (13oz)

Glace Cherries and angelica (chopped)

225g (8oz)

Candied carambola (star fruit) and tamarillo

150g (5oz)

Pecan nuts

150g (5oz)

Candied ginger

30g (1oz)

Lemon Rind (grated)

A whole lemon

Plain Flour

600g (1lb 5oz)

Ground Cinnamon

10ml (2 teaspoons)

Ground Mixed Spice (optional)

7.5ml (1.5 teaspoons)

Butter

500g (1lb 2oz)

Light Soft Brown Sugar

500g (1lb 2oz)

Eggs (size 2)

Black Treacle (optional)

30ml (2 tablespoons)

Approx Cooking Time at 150C /300F /Gas Mark 2 3 - 4 hours

Approx Cooked Weight

4kg (9lbs)

Brandy, dry sherry (added after cooking)

90ml (6 tablespoons)

Method

Weigh out all the ingredients into suitable containers so they are to hand when needed.
Before starting mixing make sure you have lined the correct tin and turned on the oven. 150C / 300F / Gas mark 2
Make sure the butter is left out of the fridge for a while before use, this will help stop the mixture from curdling later when adding the eggs. The eggs
should also be at room temperature before using them and not taken straight from the fridge.
Make sure your mixing bowl, beater and machine are clean and ready for use.
Add the butter & sugars (and treacle) to the mixing bowl.
Cream the butter & sugars (and treacle) together, using the beater, on a high speed until light.
Stop the machine & give the beater & bowl a scrape down using a plastic scraper.
Add the eggs slowly on a medium speed so as not to curdle the mixture.
Sieve the flour (and spices together).
Add the flour (and spices) gradually on a low speed.
Stop the machine and scrape down the beater & bowl once more.

N.B.
If you prefer a cake that is not too rich and sweet then blanch the candied fruits in boiling water to take away some of the sugar.
Spread out on a clean tea towel to absorb excess water.

Add the fruit gradually on a low speed (if you like you can leave the dried fruit to soak a few days before with a little sherry or brandy etc).
Turn off the machine.
Give the mixture a final turn with your clean hands or a wooden spoon to make sure it's properly mixed through.
Add the mixture to the tin, levelling & smoothing the top with the back of a spoon or wet closed fingers.
Place into the middle of the oven at 150C / 300F / Gas mark 2 for the time given above for your tin size.
Check the cake after the allotted time using a skewer. Place the skewer into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean then the cake is done. If it
needs a little more time pop it back in for another ten or fifteen minutes...if it starts burning then it's overdone or your oven is too hot!!
Remove from the oven ...leave the cake in the tin on the top of the oven or on the side on a cooling rack to cool down.

When cold tip the cake out of the tin and remove the first layer of paper leaving the greaseproof on the cake...you may add your brandy or sherry or
rum to the cake and then wrap up in more greaseproof paper and then a sheet of aluminium foil.
Store in a cool dry place.
Decorate with glazed candied fruits.

CHRISTMAS CAKE FOR THE KIDS (UN-COOKED)

Round glass bowl or long loaf shape bowl

25cm (10in)

Plain, milk or white chocolate (good quality)

450g (1 lb)

Double cream

300 ml ( pt cream)

Butter

75g (3 oz)

Rum

2 (tbsps.)

Diced chocolate sponge

300g (12 oz)

Cointreau

1 (tbsps.)

Mini marshmallows

200g (8oz)

Sugar syrup

1 (tbsp)

Vanilla ice cream

2 lts tub

Method
Line bowl with cling film. Make chocolate ganache by melting the chocolate over a water bath (bain marie), boil cream and mix chocolate and cream
together.
Stir continuously until homogenous and smooth.
Mix
ice

in butter, Cointreau, rum and diced sponge moistened with sugar syrup. Beat frozen
cream until smooth and fold in ganache mixture together with marshmallows.

Mix

thoroughly and quickly and place in appropriate bowl. Seal with cling film and
freeze.
YUMMY!

INGREDIENTS FOR TRADITIONAL

CHRISTMAS CAKE

TRADITIONAL CAKE MIX

LEVELLING THE MIX

TROPICAL FRUIT CHRISTMAS CAKE INGREDIENTS

KIDS CHRISTMAS CAKE INGREDIENTS