FRUIT CAKE FOR CHRISTMAS RECIPES

Steps:

• Put 1kg mixed dried fruit, the zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon, 150ml brandy or other alcohol, 250g softened butter and 200g light, soft brown sugar in a large pan set over a medium heat.
• Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 mins. Tip the fruit mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside – tie with string to secure.
• Add 175g plain flour, 100g ground almonds, ½ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp mixed spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 100g flaked almonds, 4 large eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the fruit mixture and stir well, making sure there are no pockets of flour.
• Tip into your prepared tin, level the top with a spatula and bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hrs.
• Remove the cake from the oven, poke holes in it with a skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp of your chosen alcohol. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
• To store, peel off the baking parchment, then wrap well in cling film. Feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp alcohol every fortnight, until you ice it.
• Don’t feed the cake for the final week to give the surface a chance to dry before icing.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4. Grease the base and sides of a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
  2. Thinly slice 2 of the oranges. Sprinkle the base of the cake tin with demerara sugar, then arrange the orange slices over the base in a slightly overlapping layer.
  3. Cream the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in 3 heaped tablespoons of marmalade, followed by the eggs.
  4. Fold in the flour, ground almonds and a pinch of sea salt. Finely grate in the zest from the remaining oranges, and squeeze in all the juice and fold through.
  5. Carefully pour the cake batter into the tin. Place in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes, or until golden and firm to touch.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a few minutes. Very carefully, while it’s still slightly warm, turn out the cake onto a serving plate.
  7. Prick holes in the cake with a skewer. Make a glaze by warming the rest of the marmalade in a pan with a little water. Spoon this over the cake.
  8. Serve warm or at room temperature with yoghurt, cream or ice cream.