Ingredients
Makes: one cake
- 300g currants
- 130g sultanas
- 130g raisins
- 130g candied mixed peel, chopped
- 1 orange, grated rind and juice
- 1 dessert apple, peeled and grated
- 100ml irish whiskey + extra to feed the cake
- 200g butter
- 200g dark muscovado sugar
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 tbsp. treacle
- 240g plain flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp heap ground mixed spice
- 100g flaked almonds, or nibbed almonds
To decorate
- 4 tbsp marmalade or apricot jam
- 150g marzipan almond paste
- 250g Royal icing
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150C.
- Using adouble layer of greaseproof paper, line the base and sides of either an 8-inch cake tin. Tie a double band of brown paper around the outside of the tin if desired too. The paper helps absorb some of the oven heat and protects the cake from overcooking.
- In a bowl, mix the dried fruit, candied peel, orange zest and juices, grated apple, and 100ml Irish whiskey. Leave aside while you make the cake mixture.
- In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar with the treacle until light and fluffy.
- Stir in the eggs, then the flour and spices, and flaked almonds.
- Stir in the dried fruit mixture.
- The mixture should have a soft dropping consistency. If it looks a little dry, add an extra dash of alcohol.
- Spoon the cake into the prepared tin. Place in the oven and bake for 2.30 to 3 hours or until it's firm to the touch. When the cake is pierced with a skewer, it should come out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin. Once cooled, remove from the tin and wrap in pachement paper then cling film. Place in a container and store in a cool area
- Once cooled, once a week, feed the cake. With a wooden skewer, pierce the cake to create holes and drizzle about a teaspoon of extra whiskey into each hole until ready to decorate the cake. Wrap the cake in several layers of greaseproof paper or cling film and tin foil, and keep in an airtight container each time.
- Ideally, until about 2-3 weeks before Christmas, decorate the cake. Brush a layer of marmalade, then add a layer of marzipan.
- Then, spoon and spike the royal icing over the marzipan.
- Decorate with classic Christmas decorations and wrap around the side of the cake with a Christmas Ruban.
Chef tips
1. Feed for flavour and moisture:
Keep the cake rich and moist by "feeding" it weekly with a teaspoon of whiskey. Use a skewer to make small holes so the spirit soaks evenly without making the cake soggy.
2. Protect the bake:
Line the tin with double greaseproof paper and wrap the outside with brown paper. This insulates the cake, ensuring an even bake and preventing the edges from drying or burning during the long cooking time.
3. Rest before decorating:
Allow the cake to mature for several weeks before icing. This improves texture and deepens the flavour. the whiskey mellows, and the fruit becomes beautifully plump and aromatic.
