Fool proof fruit cake.
Dec. 15th, 2009 05:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
linda_joyce I have 3 requests for the boiled fruit cake so here goes.
I work in pounds and ounces, I hope this is OK for you lot over the pond, I just can't think in cups.
Ingredients.
1 pound(lb) Mixed dried fruit
It is sold in ready made packs here of raisins, currents and sultanas with a bit of sugared peel. More often than not I just use a pound of sultanas because I like them best, mix it as you will.
6 ounces(oz) of dark brown sugar
7 fluid oz. of liquid. This can be just water or a mix of half water and half milk for a richer mix. If you want alcohol make the mix as follows.
water beer half and half
water wine the same
water spirit three quarters water one quarter spirit
water sherry or marsala the same.
Half a pound of butter or good cooking margarine, I always use butter it's richer.
3 eggs
12 oz of self raising flour
1teaspoon of mixed spice.
Sold as such over here and it is a mix of Cinnamon, coriander,ginger,dill seed,nutmeg and cloves to give you an idea of what you are looking for.
Take the sugar, butter fruit and liquid and place in a large saucepan. bring slowly to the boil stirring well until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts, simmer very gently for5 mins, do not let it burn. Turn off the heat and leaver to cool to blood heat. about 2 hours. It doesn't matter if it goes stone cold and sets as all you do is re heat very gently until it is liquid again and still cool enough to put your finger in with out burning. I usually do the boiling bit in the evening and reheat it the next day.
Next sift the the flour and spice and put to one side.
when the fruit mix is the right temperature crack and mix the eggs in one at a time then add the flour a little at a time and mix well.
Grease and line an 8 inch circular cake tin and pour the mixture into this.
Place the cake tin in the middle of the oven at gas mark 4 electric 300 degrees centigrade for half an hour
Then reduce to gas mark 2 electric 300 for a further 1 hour. It's usually cooked by this time but you can test it by pushing a skewer in to see if it is set(the skewer comes out clean). Put to one side to cool for about half an hour before turning out.
When the cake is totally cool put in a cake tin and feed with the spirit of your choice once a week 'til Christmas. This isn't necessary but it does make it taste very alcoholic. Even my mother never had a failure with this, and my father always said the cake she made for the first Christmas after they were married was so hard even the bird refused to eat it. She herself admitted that she couldn't make cakes to save her life.
And <lj user="entropy_house"> do you use flour or mixes to make your bread. If it's flour the same people may make a suitable cake making flour. This cake turns out more fruit than cake any way.
I work in pounds and ounces, I hope this is OK for you lot over the pond, I just can't think in cups.
Ingredients.
1 pound(lb) Mixed dried fruit
It is sold in ready made packs here of raisins, currents and sultanas with a bit of sugared peel. More often than not I just use a pound of sultanas because I like them best, mix it as you will.
6 ounces(oz) of dark brown sugar
7 fluid oz. of liquid. This can be just water or a mix of half water and half milk for a richer mix. If you want alcohol make the mix as follows.
water beer half and half
water wine the same
water spirit three quarters water one quarter spirit
water sherry or marsala the same.
Half a pound of butter or good cooking margarine, I always use butter it's richer.
3 eggs
12 oz of self raising flour
1teaspoon of mixed spice.
Sold as such over here and it is a mix of Cinnamon, coriander,ginger,dill seed,nutmeg and cloves to give you an idea of what you are looking for.
Take the sugar, butter fruit and liquid and place in a large saucepan. bring slowly to the boil stirring well until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts, simmer very gently for5 mins, do not let it burn. Turn off the heat and leaver to cool to blood heat. about 2 hours. It doesn't matter if it goes stone cold and sets as all you do is re heat very gently until it is liquid again and still cool enough to put your finger in with out burning. I usually do the boiling bit in the evening and reheat it the next day.
Next sift the the flour and spice and put to one side.
when the fruit mix is the right temperature crack and mix the eggs in one at a time then add the flour a little at a time and mix well.
Grease and line an 8 inch circular cake tin and pour the mixture into this.
Place the cake tin in the middle of the oven at gas mark 4 electric 300 degrees centigrade for half an hour
Then reduce to gas mark 2 electric 300 for a further 1 hour. It's usually cooked by this time but you can test it by pushing a skewer in to see if it is set(the skewer comes out clean). Put to one side to cool for about half an hour before turning out.
When the cake is totally cool put in a cake tin and feed with the spirit of your choice once a week 'til Christmas. This isn't necessary but it does make it taste very alcoholic. Even my mother never had a failure with this, and my father always said the cake she made for the first Christmas after they were married was so hard even the bird refused to eat it. She herself admitted that she couldn't make cakes to save her life.
And <lj user="entropy_house"> do you use flour or mixes to make your bread. If it's flour the same people may make a suitable cake making flour. This cake turns out more fruit than cake any way.