Brandied Christmas Cake

Baking this one ain’t easy. Begin prepping 1 month before Christmas. This isn’t your town baker’s technicolour fruitcake with those horrendous candied tutti frutti that call themselves fruits. This is the real deal.

This brandied fruit cake is the most coveted of baked goods during the holiday season. You’ll become a fruitcake convert with this recipe.

Brandy has been used traditionally to soften the fruit; it also acts as a preservative.

Day 1 (ideally, one month before Christmas)

Prep the fruits: combine all these dried fruits together in a large glass airtight container: 1 cup black raisins, 1 cup cranberries, 1 cup chopped dried mango, chopped dried pineapple and chopped apricots, 1 cup golden sultanas and black currants, 1 cup chopped prunes and dried apples.

Cover the fruits with 2 cups brandy to soak. Store in the refrigerator for two weeks. Stir and shake well every second day.

Day 14 – (the day before baking)  Pour in 1 cup more of brandy. Mix well and store again in the fridge.

Day 15 – Bake the cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together 6 eggs, 2 cups melted butter, 4 cups brown sugar and 2 tbs vanilla.

In another large bowl, whisk together 6 cups flour, 2 tbs freshly ground cinnamon, 3 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg, 4 tsp freshly ground allspice, 2 tsp freshly ground cloves and 2 tsp salt.

Combine flour mixture into the egg mixture.

Stir in 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 cup almonds and drained brandy soaked fruits.

(Save the remaining brandy from the fruits – makes excellent warm brandy cider)

Prepare 2 large baking pans by spraying those with non-stick spray. Line with parchment paper. Divide the dough between the two pans.

Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

As cakes cool (in the pan), sprinkle each loaf with 1 tbsp of additional brandy.

Age the fruitcakes for 2 weeks – so they are ready by Christmas Day

Cut a cheesecloth to wrap each cake. Pour some brandy into a cup and soak the cheesecloth. Wring the excess brandy out of the cloth. Wrap each cake with the brandy-soaked cheesecloth. Place wrapped cakes in double layers of aluminium foil. Store in the refrigerator.

Check the cakes both weekend, to ensure that the cheesecloth has not dried out. Unwrap each cake weekly and sprinkle about 1-2 tsp of additional brandy, to keep them moist. Or save brandy in a clean small spray bottle and spray it over the cakes, for more even distribution.

Unwrap the cakes for Christmas, slice into small pieces and serve.

By Christ & Co.