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We all know that Christmas cakes need time to mature, and if possible, they should be fed with alcohol. However, what happens if you forgot, or you simply don’t have time or don’t want the faff? Well, all is not lost, as mincemeat is your friend here. You can prepare your own home-made Christmas cake with this secret ingredient and you can eschew all the waiting. This is best made a week before Christmas, but can be made just 3 days before.
Prep: 20 minutes (plus over-night soaking)/cook: 120 mins/serves: 8-10
Ingredients:
For the pre-soaking:
100ml (2/5 cup) brandy
50ml (1/5 cup) mixed fresh citrus juice (orange, lemon and lime)
400g (2 cups) luxury mincemeat (shop bought or home made)
110g (5/6 cup) ready to eat pitted prunes, coarsely chopped
50g (1/3 cup) pitted dates, finely chopped
50g (1/3 cup) figs, finely chopped
50g (1/3 cup) glace cherries, quartered
175g (5/6 cup) dried mixed fruit
50g (1/3 cup) whole candied peel, finely chopped
For the cake:
225g (1 4/5 cups) self-raising flour
3 tsp (level) baking powder
¼ tsp fine salt
1½ tsp (level) mixed spice (pumpkin pie spice)
150g (3/4 cup) softened butter
150g (3/4 cup) dark muscovado sugar
3 large eggs
50g (1/3 cup) Brazil nuts, roughly chopped
50g mixed chopped nuts
Finely-grated zest of 1 small orange
Finely-grated zest of 1 small lemon
30 halved almonds (or Brazil nuts, or walnut or pecan halves [or any other mixture of nuts you like])
For the glaze:
1 tbsp (heaped) sieved apricot jam
1 tbsp brandy
Method:
Combine the dried fruit and mincemeat in a bowl, pour over the brandy and citrus juice then stir well, cover with a cloth and set aside to macerate for at least 4 hours (best over night). When ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 170°C (150°C fan, 340°F, Gas mark 3).
Prepare the tin by greasing well and covering the base and sides with baking parchment (ensue this comes at least 5cm (2in) above the sides of the tin. Tie folded newspaper around the outside of the tin (this helps prevent the outside of the cake from scorching).
Now sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl before adding the butter, sugar and eggs. Beat with an electric hand whisk until all the ingredients are combined, smooth and fluffy. Gradually fold in the soaked fruit mixture and chopped nuts, followed by the grated lemon and orange zests. Using a large spoon trandsfer the cake mixture into the prepared tin, levelling the top when done. Arrange the whole nuts decoratively over the surface (as for a Dundee cake).
Now all you do is sift the flour, baking powder, salt and mixed spice into a very large, roomy mixing bowl, then add the butter, sugar and eggs and beat with an electric hand whisk until everything is smooth and fluffy. Now gradually fold in the pre-soaked fruit mixture, chopped nuts and finally the grated lemon and orange zests. Now take a large spoon and spoon it into the prepared tin, levelling the top with the back of the spoon, then arrange the whole nuts in circles or rows on the surface.
Take a double square of baking parchment with a 2cm (4/5 in) diameter hole in the centre (which gives it extra protection during the cooking) and place this not on the top of the mixture itself but on the rim of the liner. Transfer the cake to the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake for 2 hours or until the centre springs back when lightly touched.
Remove the cake from the oven once cooked and allow to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then remove from the tin and transfer to a wire cooling tray to continue cooling.
While that’s happening, heat the apricot jam and brandy together and brush the nuts with this mixture to make them shiny and glossy. Store the cake in an airtight tin or in parchment-lined foil and it will keep beautifully.
