Bake at Home: Grandma Charlesworth's Christmas Cake

Grandma Charlesworth's Christmas Cake

Can Be Made: 2 to 3 months in advance

Make in: 22cm square cake tin, or 24cm round cake tin

Ingredients

Method:

Cut Glacé Ginger into small pieces and place into a bowl. Empty the bag of Glacé Red Cherries, cut in half and, if desired, set aside one-third of the cherries to use for decorating the top of the cake. Place the cut Cherries in the bowl with the Ginger and add the other dried fruits (Dried Apricots, Currants, Pineapple, Raisins, and Sultanas). Add the brandy or rum and stir well. Soak for at least 6 hours or longer to give a richer, fuller flavour. After soaking, place this mixture into a saucepan and slowly bring to the boil over a low heat, stirring constantly. Heating the fruit will create a richer looking cake. Once boiled, transfer back into a bowl and allow to cool completely.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in marmalade and eggs gradually. Stir in the bag of Slivered Almonds and Almond Meal. In a separate bowl, combine the two flours, mixed spice and nutmeg, sift and fold half into the ‘butter and sugar’ mixture. Gently stir in the brandied fruit mix, plus the remaining dry ingredients and grated apple.

Grease the cake tin and line with two layers of baking paper. Ensure the paper extends 5cm above the top of tin to prevent over-browning. Place mixture into prepared tin. Decorate top with Blanched Almonds and the reserved Glacé Red Cherries. Bake in a slow oven for 3-4 hours or until cake is cooked, when tested in the centre with a skewer. If cake is over-browning during cooking, place a sheet of baking paper over top of tin. Allow cake to cool completely before removing from tin, leave the lining paper on cake. Wrap in foil, put in a freezer bag. Store in a cool place until required.

Helpful Hint:

If short on time, soak fruit for only 1 hour, instead of 6 hours, then cook cake according to recipe. When cake is cooled, put several fine skewer holes into cake and brush over with 1-2 Tablespoons of brandy to bring out a richer, fuller flavour.