Traditional Christmas cake
Whip up this classic Christmas cake, packed with dried fruit and nuts and smothered in apricot jam, sugary marzipan and fluffy icing. Recipe and image courtesy of Tesco, realfood.tesco.com
Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 3 hrs
Makes 1 x 20cm cake
Ingredients
- 500g Tesco dried mixed fruit
- 60g Glacé cherries
- 85ml Brandy or cold tea
- 1 Orange (zest and juice)
- 1 Lemon (zest and juice)
- 175g Butter
- 175g Dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Black treacle
- 3 Medium eggs
- 175g Self-raising flour
- 50g Ground almonds
- 1 tsp Ground mixed spice
- 60g Whole almonds, walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 1 tbsp Sieved apricot jam
- 400g Ready-made ready-rolled marzipan
- 350g Icing sugar (and extra for dusting)
- 1 Egg white
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- Cake decorations
Method
Step 1
Put the mixed dried fruit and glacé cherries into a bowl. Add the brandy or tea, orange and lemon zest and juice and cover with cling film. Soak for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight.
Step 2
Grease and line a 20cm (8in) cake tin, preferably with a removable base. Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/300°F/gas mark 2.
Step 3
With an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar and black treacle until paler and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating each one in thoroughly before adding the next. In another bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds and mixed spice and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Fold in gently.
Step 4
Add the soaked fruit and all the juices, plus the nuts. Fold gently until combined. Turn the mixture into the tin and flatten the surface. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 2 hours or until golden brown and springy to touch and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Step 5
Cool for an hour in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack. Pierce the cake all over with a skewer and add another tbsp brandy, if liked.
Step 6
To decorate, warm the apricot jam to soften, and brush over the whole cake. Dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out half the marzipan. Cut out a 20cm (8in) circle using the cake tin as a template. Cut out a band of marzipan, again using the side of the tin as a guide. Place the circle on the top, and stick the band around the sides, pressing into place and filling any gaps. Leave to dry overnight.
Step 7
To make the icing, beat the sifted icing sugar with the egg white and lemon juice until glossy. Spread over the cake with a palette knife, forming peaks to look like snow drifts. Add your choice of decorations, to finish.
