Name: Rich fruitcake
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 80
Ingredients: 150ml brandy; 680g sultanas; 680g currants; 450g raisins; 170g glacé cherries halved; 170g candied peel; 560g plain flour; ½ tsp cinnamon; ½ tsp nutmeg; ½ tbsp cocoa powder; 450g butter softened at room temperature; ½ orange zested; ½ lemon zested; 450g golden caster sugar; ½ tbsp black treacle; 8 large eggs

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Rich fruitcake

Rich fruitcake

Sophie Godwin – Cookery writer

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Serves 50 - 80

Easy

Prep: 50 mins

Cook: 2 hrs and 30 mins

plus overnight soaking

A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.14 ratingsRate

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This fruitcake slices into 50-80 small pieces if you use it for a wedding or christening. It's delicious eaten straight away, or poked with a few holes and fed with brandy

Freezable

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

150ml brandy
680g sultanas
680g currants
450g raisins
170g glacé cherries

halved
170g candied peel
560g plain flour
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tbsp cocoa powder
450g butter

softened at room temperature
½ orange

zested
½ lemon

zested
450g golden caster sugar
½ tbsp black treacle
8 large eggs

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Nutrition: per serving (80)

kcal180
fat5g
saturates3g
carbs29g
sugars22g
fibre1g
protein2g
salt0.1g

Method

step 1

The night before, pour 75ml of the brandy over the fruit, cover and leave to sit, letting the fruit soak up the alcohol.
step 2

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line a deep, 25cm square cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside, so that it comes about 2.5cm above the sides of the tin, and secure with string.
step 3

Sift the flour, spices, cocoa powder and ½ tsp salt together. Mix a third of this mixture into the soaked fruit. Cream the butter, zests and sugar until light and fluffy, stir in the treacle, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in half the remaining flour mixture. Once mixed, fold in the fruit mixture followed by the remaining flour mixture.
step 4

Spoon into the prepared tin, smoothing the top with a palette knife. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hrs 30 mins, checking the cake with 15 mins to go. When a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, it’s ready.
step 5

Leave to cool in the tin for 30 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. To store, peel off the baking parchment, poke holes into the cake and feed with the remaining brandy. Wrap well in cling film. Will keep for three months.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2017

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A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.14 ratings

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