Easy Christmas Cake

You can’t beat the smell of freshly baked Christmas Cake and with the help of GLAD this easy recipe just got a whole lot easier.

Ingredients

  • 1kg dried fruit (your personal combination mix of sultanas, raisins and currants)
  • 250g dried apricots, finely chopped
  • 250g butter
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup brandy or orange juice
  • 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
  • 3 tsp finely grated orange rind
  • 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
  • 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups high-grade flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • Whole blanched almonds
  • Extra brandy

Method

  1. Line a deep 23cm round or square tin with three layers of GLAD Cooking Paper, bringing paper 5cm above the edge of the pan. Or, if you have a wooden cake box, simply line with GLAD Cooking paper.
  2. Heat oven to 150 degrees C.
  3. In a large pot place butter, sugar and brandy or orange juice and stir over heat until the butter and sugar have dissolved.
  4. In a large bowl combine the dried fruit, mixed peel, zest and crushed pineapple, then pour in the butter mixture and mix to combine.
  5. Add the eggs, then sift and add dry ingredients. Mix in with gentle, folding movements. Spread mixture evenly into the prepared pan then decorate the top with almonds.
  6. Bake for 2½ to 3 hours. When the cake comes out of the oven, splash a little extra brandy over the top of the cake.
  7. Cover hot cake with a tea towel, cool in pan.

Tips

  1. Glacé fruit and mixed peel do not appear in this recipe, but if you wish to add this, do so – just subtract the other fruit quantities.
  2. To ensure a cake is cooked, insert a knife in the centre of the cake – it’s cooked when it comes out cleanly.

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