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Barb’s Christmas Cake


  • Author: Chef Lalybeth

Description

A rich, moist, and festive fruitcake soaked in brandy, packed with nuts and dried fruits. A cherished holiday tradition.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Crust:

  • 2 cups mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, cranberries)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 1 cup brandy, plus extra for feeding
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice

Instructions

1. Prepare the Crust:

  1. Soak the dried fruit and nuts in 1 cup of brandy overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
  2. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
  5. Drain the soaked fruit and nuts, reserving the brandy. Fold the fruit and nuts into the cake batter until evenly distributed.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. While the cake is still warm, poke holes all over the top with a skewer and slowly pour the reserved brandy over it. Let cool completely in the pan.

Notes

You can customize the seasonings to taste.