The world’s best christmas cake … ever! – Part 1

Not many people like your average fruit cake, most people don’t like your average fruit Christmas cake … I don’t make average fruit Christmas cakes.  And everyone like them. 

When I was little I remember Christmas cakes as being dry and largely unpalatable, the grown-ups seemingly forced themselves to partake – it was Christmas after-all – meanwhile the children were bribed by the promise of a greaseproof paper wrapped ‘thrup’nny bit’ that might lie within the fruity goodness … of course you just had to take care not to break a tooth or choke on the thing!

I’ve been making this cake for the last four or five years and it’s become as much a part of the tradition of Christmas as any other part with the cake being ceremoniously divvied up and distributed amongst the various households in the family … actually, it’s more than a tradition.  It’s a requirement.

The recipe is simple in itself, so anybody should be able to manage it, it just takes a really long time … about 2 months in total.  Although you could cut this back to about a month if you are particularly disciplined, I’m not so it takes longer.

What you’ll need to make the cake (decoration comes later):

• the finely grated rind of one orange
• the juice of one orange
• 500g/1lb seedless raisin
• 250g/8oz sultanas
• 250g/8oz dried currants
• 60g/2oz dried dates, stoned and chopped
• 175g/6oz glace cherries, halved
• at least 1/4 bottle of dark or spiced rum
• 250g/8oz molasses (dark brown) sugar
• 250g/8oz butter
• 4 eggs
• 250g/8oz plain flower
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
• 70g/2oz ground hazelnuts
• 30g/10z chopped hazelnuts

Masochists amongst you will probably wish to do this by hand … personally I prefer to use a food processor.  Also, before you start, make sure you have enough time, making the cake mix will take about 30 – 40 mins while the cake itself will take around 2 – 2 1/2 hours to bake in the oven.

Also you’ll need a 23cm/9″ cake tin, I use a spring form one … makes life an awful lot easier.

Part 1 – Stage 1

1. Put your orange rind, raisins, sultanas, currants, dates and cherries in a bowl and mix.
2. Add the juice from the orange and 150ml / 1/4 pint of rum to your bowl and mix.
3. Cover and leave the mixture somewhere for a couple of days mixing periodically (all the liquid should either coat or be absorbed by the dried fruit).

Part 1 – Stage 2

1. Line your cake tin with a double layer of greaseproof paper.
2. Cream your butter and suagr together until fluffy or chop your butter into little cubes and bung it in the food processor with sugar and leave it on until it appears light and fluffy.
3. Using your aching arm beat the eggs into your mixture orbBreak your eggs in to the food processor and whizz.
4. Meanwhile sift your flour, salt, and spices together and then fold into your mixture – sorry, you’ll need to do this bit by hand … make sure you have a large bowl for this.
5. Add the ground nuts, chopped nuts, and the fruit mixture and gently mix it all together.
6. Put your concoction in the cake tin (that you should have already lined) and level it off.
7. Place the bowl to one side for later.
8. Put a double layer of greaseproof paper over the top of your cake tin (feel free to press it gently against the mixture).
9. Bake your cake for an initial 2hrs.  I use a fan oven at 140C, in a conventional oven I’d guess about 150C-160C and in a gas oven I have no idea.
10. You now have some time to kill, get a spoon and ‘like out’ the bowl, why not have a wee rum and coke too.
11. Remove your cake from the oven and using either a skewer or a sharp knife check if your cake is ready by stabbing it, if it comes out clean it’s ready.  If it’s not ready return to the oven for 10 minute intervals and remove the greaseproof paper from the top.
12. Leave your cake to cool completely in the tin.

Burnt cake?  All ovens are a little different and  I’ve burnt the tops and sides of cakes in previous years as a result, generally though I tend to just trim off the burnt bits with a sharp knife, it’s what’s underneath that counts.  Obviously if you’ve burnt it to a cinder then best discard the whole thing!

Part 1 – Stage 3

1. Once your cake is completely cooled trim off the slightly rounded top, I use a bread knife - you can have the trimmings later with custard.
2. Taking your rum, pour a small measure into the cap (the rum we have has a tall cap) and drizzle this over the cake … we are now feeding the cake, the fruit will absorb the liquid
3. Keep your cake covered and in a cool place. I inherited a large cake tin, although a flat dinner plate with foil wrapped over should achieve much the same.
4. Repeat stage 2 every 3 days or so until a few days before x-mas.  This will give your cake a full festive flavour and also avoid the cake drying out, occasionally I’ll use a little orange juice instead of rum in order to maintain some kind of order, but the rum is key. It’s also worthwhile to turn your cake over periodically to prevent the liquids gathering at the bottom of the cake, do this maybe once every few weeks if the base is becoming saturated.  If you press the back of your hand against the cake and you get a satisfying ‘squelch’ without it being wet then you can probably reduce the frequency with which you add liquids.  It’s very much a question of judgement, just think of the cake as a sponge that you want moist but not dripping.

I’ll post some occasional updates on where my cakes at, this may give you a guide to feeding your own.  Probably the most important thing though is not to worry about it too much.

Tags: baking, cake, christmas, culinary art, handmade