RICH FRUITCAKE

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Rich fruitcake image

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

Provided by Sophie Godwin - Cookery writer

Categories     Dessert

Time 3h20m

Number Of Ingredients 16

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

Steps:

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

Nutrition Facts : Calories 180 calories, Fat 5 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 29 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 22 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 2 grams protein, Sodium 0.1 milligram of sodium

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