This may be considered a little old fashioned but I still believe that fruit cake has a firm spot at a modern wedding. Full of spicy, juicy, brandy soaked fruit surrounded by deliciously plump cherries, the good old fruit cake should not be cast aside just because the taste buds of today are opting for a more contemporary chocolate number. Even if you're not a fan of fruit cake I thoroughly believe that it is a traditional part of any wedding to put aside the top tier of your wedding cake for use later on, whether this be the christening of the first born or another such worthy occasion. Furthermore, the role of the humble fruit cake is not just to keep Grandma Eileen happy either, it really can be delicious if baked just right.
In a quest to do some additional research into the humble fruit cake I have been seeking out the best recipes for it. I would go as far as to say that once non-believers have had a slice of the cake recipe I have found, they will be complete converts. Having tried and tested the recipe below, I would thoroughly recommend it as the fruit cake I will opt for on my wedding day.
Delicious fruit cake
This is a wonderfully juicy fruit cake with a difference. It is packed full of plump brandy soaked vine fruits and cherries. The glace ginger and walnuts have replaced the regular mixed peel and almonds and it makes all the difference! It also spends less time in the oven than other fruit cakes making it that little bit more moist and sticky.
This recipe will make one rounded 8 inch cake.
175g raisins
450g currants
175g sultanas
100g chopped glace ginger
100g natural coloured glace cherries
Soak all of the above in 4 generous tablespoons of brandy for a good 12 hours or even better, overnight.
250g plain flour
250g soft butter
4 medium eggs
100g chopped walnuts
250g muscovado sugar
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground mixed spice
1 tablespoon black treacle
Grated rind of 1 orange
Grated rind of 1 lemon
For a hot tip, line your tray with grease-proof paper around the edges as well as around the bottom to ensure a snug fit and a perfect fruit cake.
To make it easier, all of the ingredients can be mixed by hand. Cream the sugar and butter together to get a fluffy, light mixture for about 10 minutes until the colour goes slightly lighter. Make sure you persevere as this makes the cake lighter. Add the beaten eggs one by one and fold each one into the mixture. Add the treacle.
Sieve the flour and spices together if possible. Don't worry if you don't have a sieve spare as I didn't and it turned out just fine. Add this to the butter and egg batter together with the citrus zest and mix again.
Stir in your pre soaked fruit and nuts and then line a cake tin with your cake mixture.
Place in the oven and cook for around 2.5 hours on 140C. Keep tabs on it to make sure the top doesn't brown too early and you can always test the middle by putting a skewer or knife into the middle for a few seconds - when removed if it comes out clean, it is done. Let your cake cool on a wire rack before you can have fun with some creative marzipan decorating.
If you lack confidence in the kitchen and the fruit cake is intended for a special event such as a wedding you may feel better leaving the cake baking and decorating to a professional cake designer. These days cake designers are willing to sit down with you to discuss exactly what you may or may not want in your wedding cake, whether it be a traditional fruit cake or a modern tower of cupcakes or a combination of both. If you have a theme or colour or specific flowers planned for your bouquet you can also let a cake designer in on these aspects and they will work with you to come up with the perfect wedding cake for your big day. I regularly use this recipe for many of the traditional wedding cake baking that I do.
