Method
Step 1:
Grease and line a deep cake tin with non-stick baking paper or use a non-stick 10" cake tin.
Step 2:
Wash the fruits and drain through a sieve. Tip into a bowl, and pour the brandy over the mixture. Leave to steep for up to 6 hours.
Step 3:
Preheat the oven to 140°C (120°C fan, gas mark 1). Ensure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
Step 4:
Melt the butter and sugar together in a saucepan, stirring until well mixed, then pour into a mixing bowl.
Step 5:
Add the treacle and mix well, then add the eggs and mix again.
Step 6:
Sift in the flour, baking powder and spices and fold in well, then stir in the steeped fruit and remaining liquid, the glacé ginger and vanilla extract.
Step 7:
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin and turn out when cold.
Step 8:
To store wrap in a double layer of greaseproof paper and a layer of foil. Store at room temperature to mature for up to 6 weeks prior to the event. Once covered in marzipan and icing, this cake will keep for a further 6 months at room temperature. Alternatively, store in the freezer wrapped in a double layer of greaseproof paper and double layer of foil pretty much indefinitely.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 250g Butter (unsalted)
- 360g Glacé cherries (halved)
- 480g Sultanas
- 450g Raisins
- 550g Currants
- 225ml Brandy
- 260g Billington's unrefined dark muscovado
- 1 tbsp Black treacle
- 5 Egg(s) (free range) (large, lightly beaten)
- 240g Allinson's Plain White Flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon (ground)
- 1 tsp Nutmeg (ground)
- 1 tsp Cloves (ground)
- 1 tsp Mixed spice
- 40g Glacé ginger
- 1 tsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract
Utensils
- 10in round cake tin
Recipe Reviews
Now that the recipe has been revised and better suited for a 10" round tin, does anyone know the average height once baked
The recipe sounds really good.
Do you have a recipe for the marzipan and icing as well?
Since I do not get Unrefined Dark Muscovado here, is there an alternative?
Thank you. I am excited to start baking.
This recipe is a firm favourite with bakers, we have a handy tips section with instructions on how to cover your cake with marzipan and icing. I have included the links https://www.bakingmad.com/baking-tips/how-to-cover-a-cake-in-marzipan and https://www.bakingmad.com/baking-tips/how-to-cover-a-cake-with-sugar-paste-icing to give you a helping hand.
What can you use instead of brandy for an alcohol free version?
Replace the alcohol with some fruit juice (orange works nicely) for an alcohol free alternative
Beautiful cake.
I haven't started it yet but can't understand how long before my wedding in 3 months I can make this. We are just having a single tier rich fruit cake so this looks perfect but you say I should only make it 6 weeks before. But your fruit wedding cake recipe says it can be made a few months before when they almost the same ingredients. I want to make the rich fruit cake as soon as I'm able too and have the brandy to feed the cake but should I still wait until just 6 weeks before or can I make it now? Thank you
Hi, fruit cakes tend to last for longer than sponge if baked in advance and similar to Christmas fruit cake you could definitely make this in advance. We would recommend storing it an air tight container in order for it to be perfect for the big day.
Can I use two 8” tins to make 2 separate cakes using this recipe, or should I adjust it a bit?
We haven't experimented in splitting this recipe between two tins, however I don't think that there would be sufficient mixture for two 8" cakes, perhaps if you used smaller cake tins this may work?
Ingredients
For the cake
- 250g Butter (unsalted)
- 360g Glacé cherries (halved)
- 480g Sultanas
- 450g Raisins
- 550g Currants
- 225ml Brandy
- 260g Billington's unrefined dark muscovado
- 1 tbsp Black treacle
- 5 Egg(s) (free range) (large, lightly beaten)
- 240g Allinson's Plain White Flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon (ground)
- 1 tsp Nutmeg (ground)
- 1 tsp Cloves (ground)
- 1 tsp Mixed spice
- 40g Glacé ginger
- 1 tsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract
Utensils
- 10in round cake tin