Christmas Fruit Cake

Last Christmas I had baked a non alcoholic cake but this year I wanted to try the alcohol fruit cake. I started the preparation in the month of October. Soaked all the dried fruits,cherries and candied mixed peel in dark rum for a month and then baked the cake. Now I am just feeding the cake with rum twice every week. I must admit that making this cake takes hell lot of patience as you have to wait for weeks before you can cut it. I am just counting days, 6 more days to go  

Christmas Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

680 gms assorted dry fruits (I have used glazed cherries, dried apricot, dried cranberries, dried strawberries, dried pineapple, and candied mixed peel)

200 gms of raisins, chopped into bite size pieces (I have used golden and black raisins)

80 gms (hazelnuts + almonds)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup (220gms) dark brown sugar,tightly packed

1 cup unsalted butter

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup dark rum plus more for brushing the cake

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup ground almonds

1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg powder

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

Juice and zest of 1 orange 

Zest of 1 lemon

Pre-baking:

Soak the dry fruits in 1 1/2 cup dark rum for a month in an air tight container. Stir the soaked dry fruits every alternate day.

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees C or 325 degrees F. Place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter or grease a 8 inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. 

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition.

Add orange juice, zest of lemon and orange. Add the soaked dried and candied fruits along with the rum. Mix well.

Add the raisins and mix again.

In a separate bowl whisk together ground almond,flour,baking powder,salt,nutmeg powder,ginger powder,and cinnamon powder.

Now fold the dry ingredients in the cake batter. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Transfer the cake batter to the springform pan and spread evenly. 

Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a long skewer inserted at the center of the cake comes out with few moist crumbs. It took 1 hr 45 mins in my oven and the time can vary from oven to oven so keep a close watch on the cake.

Remove the cake and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. Poke holes on the top surface of the cake with a skewer and brush rum on it. 

Wrap the cake in a plastic wrap and aluminium foil and place it in an air tight container or cake tin.

Brush the cake with rum, twice a week, until Christmas. 
This cake weighed around 1.5 kgs.

Notes:

• You can choose assorted dried fruits of your choice. Add more dried fruits if you want to.
• Stir the soaked dry fruits every alternate day.
• You can change the quantity of spices (ginger powder,cinnamon powder,nutmeg powder) as per your taste.
• You can use brandy instead of dark rum.
• Chop the dried fruits and cherries into bite sized pieces before soaking in rum.
• To cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper take a large sheet and then clamp the side ring around the base. Fold the paper towards the top of the pan. This way you have the extended parchment when you remove the clamp. It is easier to handle the cake with this extended parchment. 

Adapted from Stephanie Jaworski's recipe.