Fruitcake (English)

Each person has their own list of 'must have' foods for Christmas. For me, it is this Fruit Cake, that wonderful combination of nuts and dried fruits with barely enough cake batter to hold it all together. If you have ever made a British Fruit Cake you know that what really sets this cake apart is how we repeatedly feed the cake, over time, with alcohol (usually brandy, sometimes rum). Do try to make your fruitcake about three to four weeks before Christmas so you can brush it with alcohol several times and allow the flavours to mingle and age. This cake can be frozen so it might be a good idea to make two and then you can freeze one for later in the year.

1 cup butter (227 g)
½ cup light brown sugar (110 g)
½ cup dark brown sugar (110 g)
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp. brandy
1 orange, freshly juiced
1 orange, freshly zested
1 lemon peel, freshly grated
¾ cup almonds, ground (65 g)
1 cup hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, or almonds, chopped (100 g)
1½ lb dried apricots, figs, prunes, candied mixed peel and glace cherries, chopped into bite size pieces (680 g)
¾ lb raisins, sultanas, currants, dried cranberries and/or cherries (340 g)
2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached (260 g)
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Butter, or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray, an 8" (20 cm) spring form pan with a removable bottom. Line the bottom of the pan with buttered parchment paper. Also line the sides of the pan with a strip of buttered parchment paper that extends about 2" above the pan.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the brandy, juice and zest of the orange, and zest of the lemon. Then fold in the ground almonds, chopped nuts, and all the dried and candied fruits. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder and fold this into the cake batter.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and, if desired, decorate the top of the cake with blanched almonds. Place the spring form pan on a larger baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C/130°C fan, Gas Mark 2) and continue to bake the cake for another 1 hour 30 minutes or until a long skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. With a skewer poke holes in the top surface of the cake and brush with a little brandy. Wrap the cake thoroughly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and place in a cake tin or plastic bag. Brush the cake periodically (once or twice a week) with brandy until Christmas. This cake will keep several weeks or it can be frozen.

Makes 14-16 servings.