Christmas Fruit Cake

My friend Mercedes and I made Christmas rich fruit cakes today 7 November 2014.  This is a standard English recipe. 

Christmas fruit cake should be packed with fruits, normally all vine fruits. 

One could use any dark brown sugar but I particularly like muscovado sugar, for it has a strong molasses flavour. 

As for flavourings, one can others including vanilla extract such as orange oil and / or lemon oil.

         8 ozs unsalted butter

         8 ozs dark muscovado sugar

         4 large free range eggs

         9 ozs plain flour - not self raising flour and no raising agent

         4 ozs ground almonds

         2 tbsp Golden Syrup + 2 tbsp treacle

         1 dsp mixed spice

         ½ nutmeg – grated - optional

         2 tsp vanilla extract
     2 lbs of any vine fruits for example 

         8 ozs sultanas

         8 ozs currants

         8 ozs raisins

         4 ozs mixed peel

         4 ozs cherries – natural colour

         4 ozs toasted flaked almonds

         1 cup of brandy to soak the fruits + more to feed the cake after baking

1. Prepare the fruits and soak them in brandy for a few days, stirring each day to make sure all the fruits are well soaked.
2. Double line two 6 inch round baking tins with parchment paper and brown paper.  Reserve some brown paper to wrap the outside of the cake while baking.
3. Lightly cream the butter and sugar, and add the eggs one at a time.  Add the spices, syrups, flavours and mix well.
4. Roll the soaked fruits in some of the flour.
5. Fold in the ground almonds and the rest of the flour into the butter mixture.
6. Fold in the floured fruits and nuts into the cake mixture.
7. Bake the cake in the prepared baking tin at 130 C for 3.5 hours or until cook, using bottom shelf of the oven and allow the cake to cool in the baking tin.
8. Inject enough brandy into the cake, wrap the cake well and return it into the baking tin and store it in an airtight container for at least a month to 6 weeks before icing the cake.