Mary Berry’s Christmas fruit cake recipe
_ Ingredients
310g glacé cherries, quartered
410g currants
255g each sultanas and raisins
170g ready-to-eat dried apricots
75g mixed candied peel, roughly chopped
1 tsp ground mixed spice
0.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
4 tbsp brandy
320g plain flour
310g softened unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
310g dark muscovado sugar
4 medium free-range eggs
1 tbsp black treacle
75g whole unblanched almonds, roughly chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
_ Method
Combine the dried fruit and candied peel in a large bowl. Add the 4
tbsp brandy and stir in to mix well. Cover and leave overnight.
Preheat the oven to 140°C/fan120°C/gas 1. Put the remaining
ingredients except the almonds in a large bowl. Beat with a hand-held
electric mixer until well combined. Stir in the nuts and the soaked fruit
with any soaking liquid.
Grease a deep 23cm round tin or 20cm square cake tin with butter,
line with a double layer of baking paper and grease the paper (see
Golden Rules). Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Level the top
and cover with a disc of baking paper.
Bake for 4-5 hours until firm to the touch and a skewer pushed into
the middle comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
When the cake has cooled, remove the baking paper disc, pierce the
top in several places with a skewer, then pour over a little brandy.
Remove the cake from the tin but keep it in the baking paper. Wrap
with more baking paper, then wrap with foil. Store in a cool place for
up to 3 months to mature, occasionally unwrapping and spooning
over 1-2 tbsp brandy.
Decorate the cake with glacé fruit, marzipan or ready-to-use icing. Tie
a ribbon around the cake if you like before serving.
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