Name: Easy Moist Christmas Fruit Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 55 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 10-12
Ingredients: 175 g unsalted butter, chopped; 210 g light brown Muscovado sugar; 400 g mixed dried fruit; 200 g glacé cherries, roughly chopped; 100 g dried cranberries; Zest and juice of 1 orange; Zest of 1 lemon; 120 ml cherry brandy; 85 g ground almonds; 3 large eggs; 200 g plain/all-purpose flour; ½ tsp baking powder; 1 tsp ground mixed spice; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp ground allspice; Extra cherry brandy, for feeding the cake

Method

13 steps

Place the butter, Muscovado sugar, mixed dried fruit, glacé cherries, dried cranberries, orange zest and juice, lemon zest, and 120 ml cherry brandy in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the mixture reaches a gentle bubble, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F fan).
Line a 20 cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment, allowing the side lining to extend above the rim.
Stir the ground almonds into the cooled fruit mixture.
Add the eggs and stir until combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, cinnamon, and allspice, then stir until combined.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
Bake for 45 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 140°C (275°F fan) and bake for a further 60–75 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
If the top darkens too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
While the cake is still warm, make 10–12 holes with a skewer and spoon 4 tablespoons of cherry brandy over the top.
Cool completely in the tin, then remove and wrap in two layers of baking parchment followed by foil. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Feed the cake weekly with 1–2 tablespoons of cherry brandy until a few days before adding marzipan and icing.