Rick Stein's Christmas Cake
It may be early November, but now is the perfect time to bake a cake that will mature into something truly special by Christmas. Rick Stein brings the spirit of the season alive with his classic fruit cake recipe.
Ingredients
- 175g sultanas
- 275g currants
- 175g raisins
- 50g glacé cherries, halved
- 50g mixed peel
- Grated zest of 1 orange
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 75ml brandy or sherry (or orange juice if preferred)
- Sunflower oil
- 225g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 225g dark muscovado sugar
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 225g plain flour
- 60g chopped mixed nuts or ground almonds
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- Extra brandy, sherry, port, or rum for feeding the cake
Decoration
- 3-4 tbsp apricot jam
- 350g dried fruit and nuts: walnuts, Brazils, pecans, figs, glacé cherries in mixed colours, angelica, large pieces of candied peel
Preparation
1. The day before baking, combine the dried fruit, cherries, and peel with the citrus zest. Stir in the brandy, sherry, or orange juice, cover, and leave to soak overnight.
2. Use a 20cm round cake tin. Line the base with two circles of baking paper. Cut a strip of paper about 10cm longer than the tin’s circumference and 5cm taller than its depth. Fold a 2cm strip along the long edge and snip every 2cm along the fold.
"It may be early November, but now is the perfect time to bake a cake that will mature into something truly special by the big day."
This cake improves with time, making early preparation essential to develop its full flavor.
Author's summary: Rick Stein's Christmas cake is a festive fruit cake that requires soaking dried fruits overnight and early baking to enhance its rich, mature flavor for the holiday season.