fruit cake

arkonite_babe

Boiled cake can be frozen for use in the future, wrap the cake in greaseproof then in tinfoil. Defrost slowly when you need it.

My recipe is similar to [email="C_Q@s"]C_Q@s[/email] but I use cups instead of weighing out.

Boiled Cake

2 cups mixed fruit (I soak mine in tea overnight)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon mixed spice
2 eggs
4 oz margarine

Boil fruit sugar marg and water for 15 minutes. Allow to cool Beat in eggs flour and spices. Split into 2 lined and greased loaf tins. Bale at 170oc until set (A skewer comes out clean after being inserted to the centre of the cake)

black-saturn

After reading the start of this thread this morning I made a boiled cake this afternoon. I didn't have any brown sugar so I used just ordinary caster sugar, I used self raising flour and I used ordinary eggs, not organic ones and it turned out lovely and moist. I think I'll do all my cakes like this in future.

Just one question though. Anyone got a chocolate variation?

arkonite_babe

You could try putting choc chips in instead of the fruit and I'm trying to think what spices would go well with chocolate. Anyone else think of something??

black-saturn

Wouldnt the chocolate chips melt though?

squeaky

Choc chips stay all in one piece usually, especially ones from the home baking aisle.

As for spices with chocolate - cinnamon does well

arkonite_babe

If you use a good quality chocolate they shouldn't melt, just be slightly squishy. Cinnamon sounds good! Yum!

davsidipp

i would love to make a fruit cake but just looked at delias book but found her recipe to fussy any easier ones out there .;)

cats_whiskers

Hi
I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one that finds Delias recipes a bit fussy!

I find the following one easy to make: 1lb mixed dried fruit, 1 mug hot black tea, 1 mug soft brown sugar, 2 mugs SR flour, 1 beaten egg. Soak the dried fruit overnight in the tea. The next day mix all the ingredients together then place in a 2lb loaf tin and bake for 2 hours at 160C, 325F, Gas 3.

As the oven is on for a long time and I try to be OS I often make two of these cakes at once and freeze one.

I have also made this as a Christmas cake by adding cherries and covering in marzipan and icing.

mmmm......I feel a baking session coming on.

Cats.

Bambam

This has been my Christmas cake for years - made last night:

Place the following in a saucepan, bring to boil and simmer for 1 minute :

125g margarine/butter
175g sugar - dark brown, light or white
400g dried mixed fruit
225ml water
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 heaped teaspoon mixed spices (I use 2)

Allow the above mixture to cool (I usually add a bit of booze at this stage - speeds up the cooling process, you understand )

Add to the wet ingredients :
2 beaten eggs
250g self raising flour
Pinch of salt

Mix thoroughly.
Pour into an 8" round tin or a 7" square tin or 2 loaf tins.

Bake in oven Gas 4 - 350F - 180C for approx. 1&quarter hrs.

Made mine last night and its already had more booze spilt on the top of it, by accident of course as I was putting the bottle away :rotfl: . This is not a rich, dark cake - wouldn't eat it in my family but you can drizzle booze on it every week for the next few weeks if you wish. hic! hic!

mrbadexample

:hello:

It's my colleague's 50th birthday in a couple of weeks. In a moment of madness, I said I would make him a cake, and he could choose what sort. He chose fruit cake. :rolleyes: I've never made fruit cake.

I am hoping for some ideas to make it a bit special, as he's gonna be really old. :rotfl: He doesn't like nuts, for some bizarre reason.

Could somebody please inspire me? Is there anything unusual rattling about in someone's head?

Thanks as always.
MBE