MAGGIE BEER'S CHRISTMAS CAKE

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Maggie Beer's Christmas Cake image

This excellent recipe was published in the Melbourne Age in the lead up to Christmas 2002. Maggie Beer is a very well respected cook here in Australia. It is a lovely, moist, rich, fruit cake and everyone who tasted it loved it. I actually soaked the fruit in brandy for three weeks and topped the brandy up a few times, which no doubt improved the flavour even more! Prep time does not include soaking the fruit.

Provided by Tess8728

Categories     Dessert

Time 4h

Yield 1 large cake

Number Of Ingredients 15

500 g sultanas
300 g currants
175 g seedless raisins
1/4 cup good-quality bitter marmalade
150 g mixed peel
2 grated oranges, zest of
120 ml brandy
300 g unbleached plain flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
220 g softened unsalted butter
200 g soft light brown sugar
4 large free-range eggs
100 g blanched almonds

Steps:

  • Mix the dried fruit and orange zest together in a glass or china bowl.
  • Pour the brandy over and mix again.
  • Cover the bowl and leave for at least 24 hours, turning mixture occasionally.
  • Preheat oven to 140 degrees C.
  • Grease and line a 24cm round cake tin with several layers of paper.
  • Paper should extend 10cm above the rim of the tin.
  • Sift flour, spices and salt.
  • Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.
  • Beat eggs in a separate bowl then mix very gradually into the creamed mixture.
  • Gently fold in the spiced flour, then fold in the dried fruit mixture.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
  • Decorate the top with blanched almonds.
  • Bake for about 3 hours.
  • A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean when the cake is cooked.
  • A baking dish full of water placed on the oven shelf below the cake during cooking will help keep the cake moist.
  • Cool the cake in the tin for 30 minutes before transfering to a wire rack.
  • To store, wrap the cake in several layers of greaseproof paper, then wrap in foil and store in an air-tight tin.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 8927.5, Fat 261.2, SaturatedFat 126.2, Cholesterol 1319, Sodium 1769.5, Carbohydrate 1333.5, Fiber 78.1, Sugar 837.6, Protein 124.9

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