Granny Moi’s Traditional Christmas Cake
My lovely Granny Moi would make and send us this fabulous Christmas cake every year. When she passed away, my grandfather shared the recipe with the family and it’s now the cake we all make each Christmas. The cake can be baked months in advance and stored in a cool dark place in an airtight container – dribble brandy over it every month. The many layers lining the cake tin may seem a bit excessive but it’s really important to stop the cake from getting too dark while the middle cooks, and it keeps the cake moist.
CAKE 225 grams butter, cubed
200 grams soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
250ml water
1.35 kilograms mixed dried fruit
1 tablespoon neutral oil
1 teaspoon each vanilla extract and almond essence
5 large eggs
310 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon each baking soda, baking powder, mixed spice and ground ginger
pinch table salt
TO DECORATE
50 grams blanched almonds
75 grams glacé cherries
few tablespoons brandy
3 tablespoons apricot jam
EQUIPMENT: Line a loose-bottomed 21cm square tin with 2 layers of foil, followed by 3 layers of baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 120°C regular bake.
CAKE: In a large pot over a low heat, combine the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup. Once the butter has melted, add the water and mixed fruit. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, tip into a large bowl and mix in the oil, vanilla extract and almond essence, then set aside to cool.
Separate the eggs and place the whites in a large bowl and the yolks in a smaller bowl. Beat the whites until stiff peaks form, then add the yolks and beat until well incorporated.
In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
Add a large spoonful of the beaten eggs to the dried fruit bowl and fold through, then add a spoonful of the dry ingredients and fold through. Repeat until all the ingredients are well combined.
TO DECORATE: Pour into the lined tin and decorate with blanched almonds and glacé cherries. Bake in the centre of the oven for 3 hours, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the cake starts to get a little too brown, loosely tent with foil.
Using a skewer, poke holes in the top of the cake and pour over a spoonful or two of brandy. Repeat once a month. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and store in a cake tin in a cool place.
Just before gifting or serving, brush the apricot jam over the top of the cake. SERVES 16