Bella's Super Simple Christmas Fruit Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 kg dried fruit ( I use a mix of raisins, currants and sultanas)
- 250g chopped apricots
- 250g Meadow Lea MeadowLea (MeadowLea original product should be used in the recipe)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup brandy
- ½ cup cold tea
- 4 tsp. finely grated orange rind
- 2-3 tsp. finely grated lemon rind
- 1 tbsp treacle
- 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups high grade flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- whole blanched almonds
- extra brandy
Method:
- Line a deep 23cm round or 20cm square cake tin with three layers of paper, bringing the paper 5cm above the edge of the cake tin.
- Combine all the dried fruits in a large pot. Add the MeadowLea, sugar, brandy/orange juice and cold tea/water.
- Stir over heat until MeadowLea is melted and sugar is dissolved. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes; cool to room temperature.
- Stir in orange and lemon rind. Add treacle and eggs. Then sift and add dry ingredients.
- Mix in with gentle, folding movements. Spread mixture evenly into the prepared tin, decorate the top with almonds.
- Bake in a slow 150°C oven for 2½-3 hours. When the cake comes out of the oven, splash with a little extra brandy over the top of the cake.
- Cover hot cake with a few clean tea towels and leave to cool in the pan, preferably overnight.
Cook's tip:
- We used Champion High Grade flour for this fruit cake. The high grade helps prevent the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- If you can make it ahead it does improve - try to make it a week before you slice it!