FRUIT CAKE- very easy method

I now make all my rich fruit cakes this way  avoiding the awful creaming process and worrying about curdling eggs or the mixture being too dry.

It can be  made in advance and allowed to mature in an airtight container or is very good made last minute if you have run out of time. This a delicious cake for Christmas or Thanksgiving, one you can cut and come again.

I buy small bottles of orange oil, Sainsburys  have it ,it gives a lovely,intense aromatic flavour to any fruit cake and cuts out having to grate oranges.

I  keep a stock of ready shaped parchment cake tin liners available from Lakeland or Sainsburys ,I line the cake tin with 2 together ,no more cutting up parchment paper and trying to get it to fit. Life is too short.

Recipe-Boiled Fruit Cake

• 1 kg mixed dried fruit--currants, raisins, sultanas, mixed peel, glace cherries, chopped dried apricots, (whatever fruit you like as long as it adds up to I kilogram)
• 250 g.butter
• 275g. soft dark sugar
• 250 ml.port or sherry (plus extra for painting on top)
• 60 ml water
• 2tsp orange oil (zest of 2 oranges)
• 4 eggs well beaten
• 225g plain flour
• 75g self raising flour
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 165 g ground almonds

Method

1. Preheat the oven,to 150C or130C fan
2. Grease and line a deep 8 inch cake tin
3. Place fruit, sugar, water,butter sherry/port and orange into a large saucepan. Heat gently, stir gently with a wooden spoon until the butter has melted and then bring the mixture up to the boil for 4 minutes. 
4. Remove the pan from the heat and leave until it is cool enough to  put you hand on the side of the pan-- this will take about 15 minutes.Take care
5. Beat the eggs into the cooled mixture and then fold in the dry ingredients.
6. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 3 hours.I put some foil over the top half way through to prevent the top from becoming too dark
7. Remove from the oven and paint with extra sherry/port.
8. Cool the cake in the tinthen remove the cake from the tin and finish cooling
9. Store until needed wrapped in foil in an airtight tin
10. The cake is delicious as it is but it may be decorated with traditional marzipan and icing
11. I prefer to finish the cake by brushing it with warmed apricot jam , crystallized fruit and nuts on the top and then finish with more warmed apricot jam brushed over that.





Mixing the ingredients in a large saucepan



Baked and cold.

Finishing the cake.