CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE
Ingredients :
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
4 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup black raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
½ cup candied fruit (orange, cherries, lemon etc.)
1 cup pitted dates
½ cup dried apricots
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon orange peel
6 tablespoons orange juice
1 bottle sweet wine or port wine
Cognac, brandy or similar
Preparation:
The day before preparing the cake, chop fruit, except nuts, and marinate them with the sweet wine. Drain fruit the following day.
Sift 3 ½ cups flour (reserve 1 cup) with clove, cinnamon and baking powder.
Place butter and sugar in a mixer and beat until creamy. Add orange peel, honey, eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Reduce speed and add sifted flour with spices alternating with the orange juice.
Remove bowl from mixer and add chopped marinated fruit. Combine chopped nuts with reserved flour and add to mixture.
Line bottom and sides of pan with parchment paper. Butter and flour parchment paper. Transfer cake mixture to pan.
Bake cake in preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for approximately 2 hours. Cool cake in rack. Remove cake from pan.
Moisten a cloth with brandy and wrap cake. Wrap in aluminum foil and store in refrigerator. Moisten cloth with brandy occasionally to keep cake moist.
Prepare this cake 2 to 4 weeks in advance.
Sugar Glaze:
Once cake is unwrapped decorate with sugar glaze.
Place 2 cups confectioner’s sugar in a bowl and stir in boiling water, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture has a pouring consistency. Add few lemon drops.
Pour over cake. Decorate with nuts or pecans and cherries.
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