Making a Rich fruit Cake

A rich fruit is the traditional choice for many special occasions such as weddings, Christmas, anniversaries an christening, make the cake a few weeks before icing, keep it wrapped and stored in an airtight container and it should mature beautifully. Because of all the rich ingredients that it contains, this fruit cake will keep moist and fresh for several months. If you a lighter fruit cake, you can make a less rich version that is still ideal   for marzipan and covering with either sugar paste or royal icing.

Making a Rich fruit Cake

Makes A 23cm/9in round or A 20cm/8in square cakes

450g/1lb/3cups Curran's

300g/11oz /1 3/4cups sultanas

175g/6oz/1 cup raisins

115g/4oz/1/2 cup glace cherries, halved

115g/4oz/1cup almonds, chopped

100g3 1/2oz/2/3cup mixed (citrus) peel

Grated rind of 2 lemons

45ml 3tbsp brandy 300g/11oz/2 3/4cups plain (all purpose flour

7.5ml/1/2 tsp ground mixed spice (allspice)

5ml /1 tsp ground nutmeg

75g/3oz/1cup ground almonds

250g/9oz/scant 11/4 cups soft margarine or butter

275g/9oz/1 1/3cups soft brown margarine or butter

275g/10oz/1/3cups soft brown sugar

20ml/1/2tbsp black treacle or molasses’

6size 3 (medium) eggs

1 preheats 140c275f/gas 1 oven. Grease cake tin (pan), line with a double thickness of greaseproof (waxed) paper and grease the paper.

1 Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

3 stir to combine and then beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon for 3-6 minutes, until well mixed.

4 spoon the mixture in to the rind and smooth the surface with the back of a wet metal spoon. Make an impression in the center to help prevent doming.

5 bake in the center of oven for 3 ¼-3 5/4 hours. Test the cake about 30 minutes before end of the baking time. If it is browning too quickly, cover the top loosely   with a piece of tin foil. To test if baked, press lightly in the center. If the cake feels firm and when a skewer interested in the center comes out clean, it is done. Test again at short intervals if necessary.

6 leave the cake to cool in the tin, and then turn out when it is completely cool. The lining paper can be left on to help keep the cake moist.