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Fruitcake: Butter, or spray with a nonstick
vegetable spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) spring form pan with a removable
bottom. Line the bottom of the pan with buttered parchment paper. Also
line the sides of the pan with a strip of buttered parchment paper
that extends about 2 inches above the pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160
degrees C).
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or
with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape
down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the brandy, juice and zest
of the orange, and zest of the lemon. Then fold in the ground almonds,
chopped nuts, and all the dried and candied fruits. In a separate
bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder and fold this
into the cake batter.
Scrape the batter
into the prepared pan and place the spring form pan on a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to
300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and continue to bake the cake for
another 1 hour 30 minutes or until a long skewer inserted into the
center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Remove the
cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. With a
skewer poke holes in the top surface of the cake and brush with a
little brandy. Wrap the cake thoroughly in plastic wrap and aluminum
foil and place in a cake tin or plastic bag. Brush the cake
periodically (once or twice a week) with brandy until Christmas. This
cake will keep several weeks or it can be frozen.
Serves about 14 to 16
people.
Source:
Slater, Nigel. The Kitchen Diaries. Fourth Estate. London.
2005.
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Fruitcake:
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (110 grams) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (110 grams) dark
brown sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons brandy plus
extra for brushing the cake
Juice and zest (outer
orange skin) of one orange
Zest (outer yellow skin)
of one lemon
3/4 cup (65 grams) ground
almonds
1 cup (100 grams)
hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, or almonds, chopped
1 1/2 pounds (680 grams)
of an assortment of dried fruits (dried apricots, figs, prunes, etc.),
candied and chopped mixed peel, and glace cherries (chopped into bite
size pieces)
3/4 pound (340 grams) of
an assortment of raisins, sultanas, currants, dried cranberries and/or
cherries
2 cups (260 grams)
all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
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