Name: Moist Christmas cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 255 min
Ingredients: Fruit mixture; 3 cup (500g) sultanas; 1 1/4 cup (215g) dried currants; 1 1/8 cup (190g) chopped raisins; 3/4 cup (125g) chopped seeded prunes; 3/4 cup (125g) chopped seeded dates; 1 2/3 cup (300g) chopped glace fruit (such as cherries, pineapple, figs, apricots); 3/8 cup mixed peel; 1/3 cup fig jam; 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind; 1/8 cup lemon juice; 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar; 2/3 cup (250ml) Grand Marnier; 1/2 tablespoon mixed spice; Christmas cake; 250 gram butter, melted, cooled; 5 eggs, beaten lightly; 2 1/2 cup (375g) plain flour; 1/2 cup (80g) blanched almonds; 7 glace cherries

Rich, moist, fruity and fragrant with brandy, this moist Christmas cake is best served with a cup of tea or a mug of good coffee. The fruit mixture can also be used as a base for puddings or a filling for mince pies.

Ingredients

Fruit mixture

3 cup (500g) sultanas

1 1/4 cup (215g) dried currants

1 1/8 cup (190g) chopped raisins

3/4 cup (125g) chopped seeded prunes

3/4 cup (125g) chopped seeded dates

1 2/3 cup (300g) chopped glace fruit (such as cherries, pineapple, figs, apricots)

3/8 cup mixed peel

1/3 cup fig jam

1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind

1/8 cup lemon juice

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2/3 cup (250ml) Grand Marnier

1/2 tablespoon mixed spice

Christmas cake

250 gram butter, melted, cooled

5 eggs, beaten lightly

2 1/2 cup (375g) plain flour

1/2 cup (80g) blanched almonds

7 glace cherries

Method

1.Mix ingredients in large bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Store mixture in cool, dark place for a month (or longer, if desired) before using; stir mixture every two or three days.

2.Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Line the base and side of a deep 22cm round cake pan (or deep 19cm square cake pan) with 2 layers of brown paper and 2 layers of baking paper, bringing paper 5cm above the edge of the pan.

3.Place fruit mixture in a large bowl. Stir in the butter, eggs and sifted flour, in two batches; mix well.

4.Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. Decorate top of cake with almonds and cherries. Bake about 4 hours, or until cooked when tested. Cover hot cake tightly with foil; cool in pan.

Cake can be made up to three months ahead; store in an airtight container in a cool place or refrigerate if the weather is humid. Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.

The mixture can be made a month before required, and stored in a cool, dark place – your refrigerator is ideal. Ideally, the ingredients shown below as “chopped” should all be cut to a similar size, about that of a sultana. Grand Marnier liqueur is used in keeping with the citrus content of the mixture (you can use any citrus-flavoured liqueur), but it can be substituted with rum, sherry or brandy.
Note

Women's Weekly Food

Trusted by home cooks for 90 years, The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Test Kitchen and cookbooks hold a singular place in shaping home cooking within the Australian culinary landscape. Today, the AWW Test Kitchen in Sydney is a thriving hub for food content, connected to two bustling photographic studios where a talented team of Australia’s best recipe developers, art directors, editors and photographers create our world class food content. Our recipes are thoroughly tested and tasted and given the Test Kitchen tick of approval, guaranteeing you’ll get great results in your home kitchen.

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