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Thursday, November 02, 2006

Moist Boiled Fruit Cake

boiled fruit cake

Fruit cake is one of those foodstuffs reviled in childhood and not truly appreciated until you're older and wiser. I used to hate fruit cake when I was little, but now the mere thought of homemade fruit cake, heavy and moist with plump and juicy currants, raisins and sultanas, is reason enough to make me drool.

Small slices taken with a fresh cup of tea is my preference, and with Christmas not too far away, I'm looking forward to plenty more fruit cake in the near future.

These beauties were baked by Veruca Salt and A. I contributed some random cherry chopping, but my biggest contribution was probably my compulsive consumption efforts.

fruit cake round

Moist boiled fruit cake
based on a recipe by The Australia Women's Weekly

2 1/4 cups (375g) sultanas
1 1/2 cups (250g) chopped raisins
1 1/2 cups (250g) currants
1/2 cup mixed peel
1 cup halved glace cherries
1/4 cup chopped glace pineapple
250g butter
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup water
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon treacle
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 3/4 cups plain flour
1/3 cup self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
extra glace cherries and blanched almonds or pecans for decorating

Place fruit, butter, sugar, brandy and water in a saucepan and heat gently, whilst stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Increase heat and bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for about ten minutes. Transfer hot mixture to a bowl and allow to cool.

Grease a deep 23cm round (or a deep 19cm square) cake pan, and line the base with two layers of baking sheet paper (we've used lined brown paper with excellent results). Make sure the paper is taller than the pan by about 5cm, creating a collar as shown in the top picture above.

Add eggs, treacle and citrus rinds to the fruit mixture and stir through. Stir in sifted flours and bicarb and then spread mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Decorate the top with glace cherries and almonds or pecans if preferred. Bake at 150C for about 2 1/2 hours. Cover cake with foil and allow to cool in the pan.

Keeps for 3 months. We found it also tasted better and felt more firm and moist when kept in the fridge.
10 comments - Add some comment love

posted by Anonymous on 11/02/2006 09:55:00 pm


10 Comments:

  • At 11/03/2006 7:10 am, Blogger Yvo Sin said…

    It certainly looks good...

     
  • At 11/04/2006 5:38 pm, Blogger Promotheus said…

    gosh, it looks absolutely beautiful

     
  • At 11/04/2006 6:41 pm, Blogger Vintage Wine said…

    It looks yummy! And I like your contribution, it`s an important one ;-)

     
  • At 11/05/2006 8:36 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Another trick is to soak the fruit, nuts (and any fruit zest) in black tea over night. Fruit ends up even more yummo. But I can imagine yours would have tasted just as yummo. :)I, too, have been enjoying fruit cake this past week.

     
  • At 11/26/2007 6:24 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Stir-up Sunday today, and I doubled the recipe to make my own Christmas cake and give one away. Sultanas are hard to find in the UK this year, so I substituted equal parts chopped prunes, dates and apricots. Used crystallised ginger instead of the pineapple and also threw in a Tbsp of mixed spice per cake.

    The young-uns are now old enough to be interested in a rich fruit cake, but I don't want to put them off with over-cooked fruit round the edge or gritty currants, so that's why I went looking for a boiled fruit cake recipe. I'm sure this will be great, but it'll be over a month before I sample it. After a long, cold walk I'll enjoy it with a mug of Lady Grey tea and (dare I say so) a piece of cheese.

     
  • At 11/27/2007 9:32 pm, Blogger Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

    Hi JJ - I never thought about sultanas being hard to find in other parts of the world. Your version sounds delicious. I love crystallised ginger! Hope you enjoy a slice or two :)

     
  • At 11/19/2008 11:47 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hi Helen. I'm a bit earlier this year, but I also appreciate this recipe because I can weigh and chop the fruit, boil it, and then leave for a few days and fit the baking in when I have the time.

    Last year I made two double batches. Maybe only one double batch this year, cos my bro-in-law is watching his weight.

    This year I've used good quality cider for the boiling, and will nourish the cakes with a mix of brandy and rum over the next month.

     
  • At 11/23/2008 7:53 pm, Blogger Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

    Hi JJ - Ooh yes I've been meaning to bake a fruit cake this year. I must get onto it soon! Your cake sounds giddy but delicious. Happy feasting, and only one double batch? It keeps so well surely you'll kick yourself if you don't make two? ;)

     
  • At 12/04/2008 1:16 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Well, i have done this cake three times within 2 months and 'boy what a very delicious scrumptous MOIST cake ever'. Mind you i'm not a great fan of currants, saltana's and i had some dried fruits to use up, as they were running out of date. So i used a third(250g) of the fruit mix e.g saltana's and currants and the rest (625g)was dried dates, apricot, cashew(just a handful)and a dash of dessicated coconut. You might say i have turned he recipe round to my own but not by much.
    Thank you so much

     
  • At 12/06/2008 3:34 pm, Blogger Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

    Hi Anon - Glad you've found the recipe so successful, and your revisions sound great. Now you have a recipe all your very own :)

     

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