Cakes & Cupcakes
Boozy Fruit Cake
A luxurious fruit cake, packed with lots of fruit and nuts and doused with a good dose of brandy.
I have not had much time to bake in the last few weeks, with the implication that my festive baking is very delayed. Nevertheless, better late than never.
This luxury fruit cake soaks the fruit a few days in advance, so thankfully still packs that boozy flavour without needing to feed it for months in advance.
The recipe
Boozy Fruit Cake
adventureswithsugar.com/boozy-fruit-cake/
Method
Method: fruit mix
- Combine the fruit: Place all the fruit in a bowl.
- Add the zests, syrup and alcohol: Add in the zests, golden syrup and brandy/rum.
- Soak: Leave to soak overnight, if not longer.
Method: fruit cake
- Preheat the oven and prepare the tin: Preheat the oven to 140˚ Celsius. Grease and line both the base and the sides of a 20cm round baking tin, with two layers of baking paper. Wrap the outside of the tin with two layers of newspaper, holding it in place with string.
- Whisk the wet ingredients: By hand, whisk the sugar, golden syrup, vanilla extract, almond extract and eggs in a bowl until it is well incorporated.
- Cream the butter and almonds: Cream the butter and ground almonds, until it is well combined, but not too aerated.
- Add the egg mixture: Slowly pour in the egg and sugar mixture until an emulsion forms. Do not be too alarmed if the mixture curdles, it will come together in the end.
- Fold in the dry ingredients: Add in the dry ingredients and fold to combine.
- Fold in the fruit and nuts: Add in the soaked fruit and the nuts and fold to combine.
- Bake: Place into your lined baking tin and bake around 2 hours, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Prevent overbrowning: If the top is getting too dark, cover the cake with some foil to prevent too much browning on the top.
- Brush with brandy: Once the cake comes out of the oven, brush the brandy over the cake and let it soak in.
- Store and feed: Wrap in clingfilm and then in foil and store in a cool dry place, feeding the cake weekly with 2 tablespoons of brandy, if you are making it in advance.
What do you need to know about making this recipe?
Can I change the fruit mix to suit my taste?
Yes, you can easily swap out some raisins for cranberries or currants or dried figs ... the list is endless. Just ensure that the total weight of fruit you use remains the same. Do not omit the dates and prunes however, as they also contribute to the moisture of the cake.
What can I use instead of alcohol?
I always like using orange or cranberry juice, to soak my fruit, if I do not use alcohol.
Why is lining the tin such a schlep?
Lining the tin is a bit of a laborious step but necessary, as this is a slow bake. There is a risk that the cake can get too dark otherwise.
How should I store the cake?
Once the cake has cooled out of the oven, wrap it in clingfilm and then in foil and store in a cool dry place.
How long does the cake last for?
The cake will last for a month, stored in a cool dry place and fed regularly with brandy.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment