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 Unrefined dark muscovado sugar
- 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
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?
Made last year, so moist. I had a bit left over due to size of the tin but I made small ones to eat now. Lush *****
Want to make this cake for Christmas but is it too early to start it now?
People do bake their Christmas Cakes months before the big day, the fruit cakes will last but you may want to feed the cake with additional alcohol or fruit juice to keep the centre tasting fresh
Fabulous ....have made 3 times now....do use a 12inch round tin not 10 ....
Dear Bakingmad testing team, three stars because of mis-information RE tin size but I would've given 5 stars for the recipe and the ease of doing it, thankfully the 5 1/2 hours it took to bake thoroughly didn't burn as I covered it well and stuck to the temp given and tested it after 4 1/2 hours, in my 8 inch pan it measures 6 inches high !!! I would've said it was suited to a ten inch round pan size not an 8 inch pan size.
I would like the testing team to get back to on the error here and actually give me the proper size as I would like to do this recipe again.
On review of the recipe comments, we have revised the tin size to 10" to ensure that the cake ingredients are not too deep for standard tins. We hope that you enjoy baking this delicious cake again.
Am making this cake right now and it's in oven however with an 8inch round cake pan at least 9cm isn't cutting it however am doing it and following the recipe to the very letter my mixture is beyond the top !!! Luckily I have lined it double and have place three layers of circles on top with a hole in middle and have put in timer for 4 hrs in 140c oven (no fan ) so here's hoping t will bake all through, who thought this recipe up? It seriously is 11cm high in pan !!!!
Ingredients
For the cake
- 250g Butter (unsalted)
- 360g Glacé cherries (halved)
- 480g Sultanas
- 450g Raisins
- 550g Currants
- 225ml Brandy
- 260g Unrefined dark muscovado sugar
- 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