Fruitcake Recipe

recovering_spendaholic

I went to visit a friend yesterday and her Mum came round with a "practice" Christmas cake which she had made. She gave us a piece and I have to say it was, without question, the nicest tasting Christmas/fruit cake I have EVER tasted! She had made her own marzipan too which was also absolutely lovely and I don't really like marzipan! I asked her for the recipe and she was really evasive about it - she said it was based upon Rusty Lee's Carribean fruit cake recipe which she had got from the telly, but she wouldn't specify quanitites or anything. It was sooooo lovely that I really want to make it but I have googled "Rusty Lee's Caribbean fruit cake" and other variations but have found nothing. Has anyone ever heard of it and can they point me in the direction of the recipe please? I'm not kidding - this cake was blummin WONDERFUL!

Pink.

Hi Jane,

The recipe can be found in Rustie Lee's book A taste of the Caribbean Perhaps you could get a copy of it from the library?

There are also some recipes for Caribbean Christmas cake coming up on google but it's hard to know if they will be the same as the cake you tried.

Pink

adsk

I can't help you with the recipe that you're looking for but... as a regular maker of the Delia Rich Fruit cake recipe (which I use for a Christmas cake) I was really impressed by this recipe for a rich fruit cake which was quite close in terms of taste, texture etc. It's not quite as rich as a proper Christmas cake and only keeps for several weeks but it's delicious and very easy to make.

http://www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com/fruitcake/

I replaced some of the orange juice in the recipe with brandy. It did need the 1 week resting time suggested (tried after 5 days but was much nicer after 7).

The rest of the website is brilliant too!

AudreyHepburn_2

May I suggest this recipe:

Bajan Cake ( West Indian Christmas Cake )

which won't break the bank if you use "value" style fruit,jam and butter.

You will need:
18 cm deep cake tin (greased and lined)
plastic bowl
2 large mixing bowls
sieve
tablespoon
jug
fork
hand held mixer or wooden spoon

650g dried mixed fruit
50g glac! cherries,chopped
125g chopped nuts
90g jam
6 tablespoon rum ( or brandy)
1 level tablespoon soft brown sugar
125g butter or marge
175g soft brown sugar
3 eggs
150g plain flour (wholemeal gives a nice flavour if you have it)
1/2 level teaspoon baking powder
1 level teaspoon mixed spice

Instructions:

2 DAYS BEFORE BAKING DAY:

Put the fruit,nuts,jam, 4 tablespoons of rum and 1 level tablespoon of soft bowl sugar in the plastic bowl. Stir to mix then leave to soak.


On baking day:

Set the oven to Gas 1-2. 140-150 deg C ( use the lower temp if you have fan oven )

Cream the butter or marge and the brown sugar together in the large mixing bowl.

Break the eggs into the jug and beat lightly with the fork to mix.

Gradually beat the eggs into the sugar and fat mixture.

Now stir in the fruit and rum.

Sieve together the flour, baking powder and spice, then stir this into the mixture.

Place the mixture in the prepared tin.

Tap it on the work surface a couple of times just to level it.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 3 1/2 - to 4 hours.

Check the cake after 3 hours to see how it is doing.

When done , take the cake out of the oven and leave in the tin
Whiles still warm ,pour the remaining rum over the surface.

Leave the cake in the tin until completely cold.

Turn out, wrap in greaseproof paper and kitchen foil and store for at least 2 weeks to mellow.

You can sift the flour, spice and baking flour toghet beofr you start to save fuss.


Hope this helps!

Gingernutmeg

In Delia Smith's Christmas she has a recipe for a Creole Christmas Cake where the fruit is boiled first in a mixture of spirits, then left to macerate for a week. It does make a really moist cake, I wonder if that's a similar recipe to the Carribean one?

recovering_spendaholic

Thanks for these replies! I have had a look at all the links and will try and get Rusty Lee's book in the library, or I might order it from Amazon. The picture in NCOTAASD does look a bit like the cake I had yesterday but not exactly the same. It was just so lovely. The cake was not too dark and it was moist but not wet IYKWIM - the texture was not crumbly at all either and it was not stodgy. I rang my friend today and she said that her Mum is keeping the recipe under her hat because she is making some for gifts etc for Christmas - I hope she gives me one! I am not a huge fruitcake fan but I have been salivating at the thought of it all day! I really need to get out more!

chalky_75

wHAT A SHAME SHE WONT SHARE THE RECIPE WITH YOU. i AM ALWAYS SO CHUFFED AND FEEL COMPLIMENTED IF SOMEONE WANTS MY RECIPES--- WHERE WOULD WE ALL BE WITHOUT TWINKS HOBNOBS!!

stef240377

Have just found my christmas cake recipe that i copied from my moms 'ancient' good house keeping cook book (circa 1960's).

1lb 2oz currants
8oz sultanas
8oz raisins
6oz glace cherries halved
4oz candied peel (omitt if you dont like it)
10oz plain flour
pinch of salt
0.5 level tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 level tsp mixed spice
10oz butter
10oz soft brown sugar
1tbsp black treacle
6 eggs beaten
3tbsp brandy

and a 9 inch tin to put it all in.

I have made this before and kept topping it up with brandy until i marzipaned and iced it however when would the best time be to start this. Dont want to do it too early but appreciate it matures with age due to the weekly top ups of brandy.

tessie_bear

this is a yummy sounding thread

recovering_spendaholic

stef240377 wrote: »

Have just found my christmas cake recipe that i copied from my moms 'ancient' good house keeping cook book (circa 1960's).

1lb 2oz currants
8oz sultanas
8oz raisins
6oz glace cherries halved
4oz candied peel (omitt if you dont like it)
10oz plain flour
pinch of salt
0.5 level tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 level tsp mixed spice
10oz butter
10oz soft brown sugar
1tbsp black treacle
6 eggs beaten
3tbsp brandy

and a 9 inch tin to put it all in.

I have made this before and kept topping it up with brandy until i marzipaned and iced it however when would the best time be to start this. Dont want to do it too early but appreciate it matures with age due to the weekly top ups of brandy.

That sounds like the Christmas cake that I made in cookery in school in the 1970's - it was lovely! Realistically - how much alcohol do you put in when you "feed" the cake? I don't want to make it puddingy or soggy.

stef240377

Last year i used around a cap full (from a 35cl btl of brandy) each time i checked on it or whenever it looked dry. I think i made it in late oct early nov last year and left it till a week before to marzipan one day and ice the next. We were still eating it at the end of January it seemed endless and kids are begging me to get a move on with this years one.