English Christmas Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup butter softened, 1/4 cup is for pan
- 2 cups mixed peel finely chopped about 12 oz
- 2 cups white raisins about 12 oz
- 1 1/2 cups dried currants about 8 oz
- 1 cup seedless raisins about 5 oz
- 1/2 cup candied cherries halved, about 4 oz or 24
- 1/2 cup candied angelica finely chopped, about 4 oz
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup almonds shelled and pulverized, about 6 oz
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup pale dry sherry, rum or brandy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Using pastry brush, coat the bottom and sides of 12" x 3" springform cake pan with 2 Tbsp of the softened butter.
- Coat one side of a 20" strip of wax paper with 2 Tspn softened butter and fit the paper greased side up inside the pan.
- In a large bowl combine the fruit peel, white raisins, currants, seedless raisins, cherries and angelica. Sprinkle the fruit with 1/2 cup flour, tossing about with a spoon to coat the pieces evenly. Set aside.
- Sift the remaining flour with baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, cream the remaining cup of butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the pulverized almonds then beat in eggs one at a time.
- Add the flour mixture a half cup at a time then beat the fruit mixture into the the batter.
- Finally add the sherry and pour the batter into prepared pan. It should come to no more than 1 inch from the top. If necessary, remove and discard any excess.
- Bake in the middle of the oven 1 hour 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for 30 minutes before removing sides of the springform pan, then slip it off the bottom of the pan onto a cake rack to cool completely. Once cool, carefully peel off paper.
Notes
This cake can be made months ahead of time and kept thoroughly wrapped in the freezer.