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Yum Yum Chrissie Cake

Here's my favourite recipe for Christmas cake. My mother in law gave me this recipe and both of us use it each year. Occasionally I try a new recipe but I'm always disappointed by the final result. You need to prepare this cake 1 month in advance to allow the flavours to develop. The best quality dried fruit can be purchased from health food shops, this makes all the difference to the final result.

Yum Yum Christmas Cake

Preparation: 15-20 minutes (soak fruit for 2-7 days)

Cooking: 2 hours

Ingredients

Fruit

  • 250g sultanas
  • 250g currants
  • 250g raisins
  • 125g mixed peel
  • 125g red glace cherries
  • 125g green glace cherries
  • 250ml dark rum

Cake

  • 250g almonds
  • 250g butter (unsalted)
  • 200g soft brown sugar
  • 4 medium sized eggs
  • 90g plain flour
  • 90g self raising flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Method

  1. Fruit: Place all the dried fruit in a bowl and pour the rum over it. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it in a dry cool place for 2-7 days, so the fruit absorbs the rum.
  2. Preparation:Preheat an oven to 160°C. Grease a deep 23cm square cake tin or a 25cm round cake tin and line it with 3 layers of greaseproof paper so that the lining comes 5cm above the edge of the tin.
  3. Cake:Stir the almonds into the fruit mixture. Place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat it with the sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat them until they are well combined with the creamed butter.
  4. Stir the creamed butter mixture into the fruit mixture with a wooden spoon, until well distributed. Stir in the sifted flours, cinnamon, mixed spice and ground nutmeg.
  5. Pour the mixture out into the cake tin and spread it out so that it is flat. Place the cake tin in the preheated oven and bake it for around 2 hours or until cooked. To test if it is cooked insert a thin knife into the centre of the cake. When it comes out dry the cake is cooked. Let it cool in the tin.
  6. Remove it from the tin and store in a well sealed container for 1 month in a cool dry place. Add a capful of rum over the top once a fortnight.
* To make a tropical version of the cake replace the dried fruit with the same weight in dried tropical fruit e.g.. pineapple, mango etc.*Next month bare ingredients will give ideas for decorating and icing your cake.