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Christmas Cake

SUBMITTED BY: Carol PHOTO BY: Diana Moutsopoulos

"This cake is a rich, dark, moist fruit cake, very flavorful at Christmas. Try icing with almond paste for a more festive touch. This recipe is started in October or November so as to let it mellow before the holidays. I remember very well my mother storing her fruit cake in an old butter churn that belonged to my grandmother and great grandmother. I wish that I had that old crock."

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PREP TIME	30 Min
COOK TIME	3 Hrs 30 Min
READY IN	6 Hrs
Original recipe yield 1 - 8 inch square fruit cake

SERVINGS

(Help)

Servings
USMETRIC

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

2 (8 ounce) containers candied cherries
1 (8 ounce) container candied mixed citrus peel
2 cups raisins
1 cup dried currants
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
2 (2.25 ounce) packages blanched slivered almonds
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
6 eggs
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup apple juice

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates, and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 1/2 cup flour.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, then wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.

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REVIEWS

Reviewed on Jan. 8, 2004 by northernsunshine

Made this dark fruit cake last Christmas also made a light fruit cake. The dark cake was eaten... MORE

Reviewed on Oct. 3, 2007 by liz

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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.

liz
Oct. 3, 2007

I made this recipe about 6 weeks before christmas and then resisted eating it until then. This is truly the best Christmas cake ever! It is really rich and moist. It did make a lot and I had to put it in a 26cm or 10inch square tin which fit perfectly. We thought we would never get through it it was so huge but it was gone within a week or so. It was so delicious. As my husband is allergic to almonds I substituted brazil nuts which worked just as well. I let the cake cool in the tin with a teatowel over the top to keep the moisture in then when it was cool I basted it in brandy and wrapped up in greaseproof paper and tin foil. Also for all you Aussies, after hunting around shops looking for Molasses with no luck I did some research on the net and found out that what they call molasses in the US is what we call treacle over here - if they ask for blackstrap molasses then that is what we call molasses. Hope that helps when you find it hard to find molasses on the shelf in Aus. Will definately be making it again this year (and also planning on making smaller ones for gifts keeping the big for myself of course)- can't wait!

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43 users found this review helpful

I made this recipe about 6 weeks before christmas and then resisted eating it until then. ... MORE

Reviewed on Nov. 5, 2007 by ABoston

LOVE this cake! I suggest only a couple of modifications, but if you can't make the changes,... MORE

Reviewed on Jan. 8, 2004 by MACLEOD26

I've been making fruitcakes for several years, dutifully wrapping them in liquor-soaked... MORE

Reviewed on Dec. 28, 2005 by CANNOLIEATER

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CANNOLIEATER
Dec. 28, 2005

I made this cake a couple weeks ago, I won't be trying it till xmas so I will update my review then. I left out the cinnamon and cloves and just used the allspice/mixed spice, my house smelt of mollases/treacle for days!!due to the 3/4 cup of it that went in, I have a funny feeling this will be way too strong a flavour and smell for me as all of the other recipes I have seen only call for a couple tablespoons of mollases!! but, I will let you know, I will obviously marzipan(almond paste/icing) and ice/frost the cake and decorate it, couple weeks before exmas I will skewer the cake in several places and poor over brandy and whisky (more for the flavour and kick rather than moistness) as I think this may be a moist cake anyway. I will report back after exmas or just after the first few comments on the cake. Hope it's good, it took 3hrs 35 mins to cook. UPDATE, after 2.5 weeks I took it out of the air tight container and unwraped it from the double layer of tin foil and layer of greaseproof and it smells gorgeous, no more mollases smell just a lovely traditional english christmas cake smell, almost like christmas pudding!! I skewered 5o times and poured over a tbls of each whisky and brandy.Update: Very moist but may add double the mixed spice next year. NOTE: this is for an 8" square cake if you use a round pan you must use a 9" one!! an 8" round fits exactly onto an 8" square one, so, you must allow for the corners (thats why a 9" round is needed)

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23 users found this review helpful

I made this cake a couple weeks ago, I won't be trying it till xmas so I will update my review... MORE

Reviewed on Jan. 8, 2004 by PREMA CONCESSAO

Thank you Carol for sharing a great recipe. I have been on the look out for a simple and good... MORE

Reviewed on Dec. 16, 2003 by Corinne B.

I tried this cake last Christmas. It was the best, ever. I used apricot brandy. I did not... MORE

Reviewed on Jan. 10, 2007 by Karen Martin

Did not rise properly, stayed raw in the middle maybe my mistake?? Help MORE

Reviewed on Sep. 30, 2005 by jwlhansen

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