Traditional fruitcake usually contains ingredients that need to be bought especially, such as candied peel and glacé cherries, and cooking times can be several hours. This recipe is a quicker, lighter and easier take on the fruitcake, without compromising on flavor. Nuts give texture and dark brown sugar provides a rich, almost chewy consistency.
The two-stage method means that there is no butter and sugar to cream and preparation time is greatly reduced. This, and the fact that the fruitcake recipe does not contain eggs, makes it easy for children to bake - and they can lick the raw batter off the spoon without any salmonella worries!
The fruitcake recipe is also a good way of using up store cupboard odds and ends. For example, the mixed dried fruit and nuts can include anything you have available, such as raisins, apricots, dates, figs, pistachios, walnuts and almonds.
Tip: use a bundt pan for a cake with beautiful ridged edges that show off the crunchy almond ‘shell’.
Fruitcake Recipe
Preparation time: 15 minutes.
Cooking time: 45 minutes.
Makes about 12 pieces of fruitcake.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz / 250 g self-raising flour
- 8 oz / 250 g dark brown caster sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 8 fl oz / 225 ml milk
- 4 oz / 100 g mixed dried fruit, roughly chopped
- 2 oz / 50 g mixed nuts, roughly chopped
- 2 oz / 50 g sliced almonds
Preparation:
- Pre-heat the oven to 355° F / 180° C.
- Put the flour, sugar, spices and milk in a large bowl. Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth.
- Add the dried fruit and nuts and mix again.
- Generously oil a cake tin about 8 inches / 20 cm across. Tilt the tin so that the side nearest you is almost horizontal and sprinkle with a thin layer of the sliced almonds. Continue around the tin until the sides are completely covered. Put the tin back down on the work surface.
- Any sliced almonds that did not stick to the oil on the side of the tin will fall to the bottom. Cover any bare spots on the base of the tin with a few additional almonds.
- Carefully pour the batter into the tin. Put the fruitcake in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning it out onto a rack.
- Enjoy the fruitcake on its own or with Greek yoghurt or whipped cream.
Cecily Layzell - Cecily Layzell is a food and travel writer and founder of restaurant review site www.eat-amsterdam.com.
