Moist Christmas Cake
Moist Christmas fruit cake made with fruit soaked overnight. Rich, easy, and full of flavor.
Ingredients
- 300 g / 10 oz raisins
- 150 g / 5 oz dried apricots chopped into 8 mm / 1/3" pieces
- 75 g / 2.5 oz mixed peel diced into 5 mm / 1/5" pieces
- 150 g / 5 oz glacé cherries chopped into 8 mm / 1/3" pieces
- 180 g / 6 oz dates diced into 5 mm / 1/5" pieces
- brandy and juice made up of 1/3 cup brandy and 2/3 cup juice
- alcohol free - juice only 1 cup apple juice or pineapple juice
- 120 g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp molasses or golden syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 2/3 cups plain all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- Soak the Fruit: Place the raisins, apricots, mixed peel, glacé cherries and dates in a large glass container. Pour over the brandy and juice and stir until all the fruit is coated. Cover and set aside overnight so the fruit plumps up.
- Prepare the Pan: Preheat the oven to 320°F / 160°C (140°C fan). Grease an 8-9" / 21-22 cm round cake pan and line it with parchment paper. The pan should be about 2.75" / 7 cm tall.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: Using an electric beater, beat the butter and dark brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Use high speed. It takes approximately 1 minute.
- Add the Oil and Flavorings: Add the oil and molasses and beat until combined. Add the salt, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder and beat until incorporated.
- Add the Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just incorporated after each one.
- Fold In the Flour and Fruit: Stir in the flour. When it's mostly incorporated, stir in the soaked fruit, including all the extra liquid in the bowl, and the walnuts if you're using them.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and cover with foil. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 to 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean with no batter on it. Check at 30 minutes first.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Let it cool completely before serving.
Notes
Don't skip the overnight soak: It's what plumps up the fruit and keeps the cake moist.
Chop the fruit to size: Apricots and cherries at 1/3" / 8 mm and dates and peel at 1/5" / 5 mm give you even slices that hold together.
Add all the liquid: Stir in everything left in the soaking bowl along with the fruit.
Keep the foil on: The first 2 1/2 hours covered keeps the top from over-browning.
Test early: Check with a skewer at 30 minutes after removing the foil, since ovens vary.
Cool completely: Let the cake cool fully before cutting so the slices stay neat.