Christmas, the most joyous and magical time of the year, is also a time for baking X-massy goodies. The aroma of exotic spices, nuts and goodies in the oven fill the air as we bake festive breads, cakes, cookies and pies.. There’s something about baking and of course gorging on rum-infused fruit cakes during Christmas.
I keep trying different baking recipes and I have found one perfect X-massy bake which is my absolute favorite, the rum-oozing fruit cake.
Here’s the recipe for you to try too…
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup finely ground almonds
- 3 tablespoons alcohol (brandy, sherry, rum.) plus you’ll need extra for brushing the cake (I prefer rum)
- Juice and zest of one orange
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 cup almonds, walnuts, or cashew, coarsely chopped
- 500 gms of an assortment of dried (apricots, figs, prunes, raisins, sultanas, currants, dried cranberries, dried cherries etc.) and candied fruit, all chopped into bite sized pieces
Directions
Preheat your oven to 160 degrees C. Butter a 20 cm spring form pan with a removable bottom. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Also line the sides of the pan with a strip of parchment paper that extends about 5 cm above the rim of the pan.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds and baking powder.
In another large bowl place the dried and candied fruits, along with the chopped nuts. Remove about 3-4 tablespoons of the flour mixture and add it to this mixture, tossing well to coat all the fruits and nuts.
Beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the alcohol, orange juice, orange zest and lemon zest. Then beat or fold in the chopped nuts and all the dried and candied fruits. Then fold in the flour mixture.
Pour the batter in the prepared pan and decorate the top of the cake with blanched almonds (optional).
Bake at 160 degrees C for 60 minutes. Lower the temperature to 150 degrees C and bake for another 80-90 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. Then, with a skewer, poke holes in the top surface of the cake and liberally brush with alcohol.
Cut it into slices and impress your family and guests with this perfect x-massy boozy fruity cake.
Which is your favorite Christmas Cake?
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18 Responses
I have never baked cakes with rum and i will try this. My son will love it and i will impress him.
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Xcellent looking cake…
Rich delight!
Ooh that looks so delicious! I feel like digging in immediately.
I could sink my teeth into this delicious looking boozy cake all year through, and not only at Christmas time! You had me salivating, Shilpa!
Christmas cakes are my favourite especially the boozy ones. 🙂
Fruit cake. Yum. It’s my favourite so I would love to try this one.
Look’s great 🙂
Oh my shilpa love your patience to be so methodical – and adding so much details, my daughter would love to bake 🙂 I am not so very inclined to baking… but definitely enjoy when made with nuts. Thanks for sharing, glad I am able to comment here.
Looks absolutely drool worthy dear, will love to try it buddy.
Christmas is a long way away and thankfully I never have to make a cake because my friends always send me a special Christmas cake each year. I like mine spicy and sickly sweet and chewy as well.
Christmas and cake go hand in hand. I often wonder, if cake is for Christmas or Christmas is made for cake. Since childhood days, many of us would wait for Christmas to eat a cake. Those days, we did not have as many varieties and good ones were not affordable for common people. Many of us did not even know that there are so many varities of cakes.
I usually make mine in early October. My recipe is very similar to yours but I tend to guess the measures! I also soak my dried fruit in brandy for a few days before I use it, and give the cake regular doses in the weeks up to Christmas! I suddenly feel really hungry!
Yummy! I’m going to try this. But tell me – what icing have you used on top? The white fluffy one? Is it cream.cheese? Royal icing is another nice option I think.
I’ve eaten this cake and I loved it. Happy to have the recipes 🙂
@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter – Berliner Cabaret
Yummy cake recipe Shilpa Ji. Thanks for sharing.
Cakes love
You made this??? :O :O :O
This looks awesome yaar!
I am not going to try the recipe, but I am definitely coming over next Christmas! 😛 😛 😛
Hehehehe!
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