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For the decoration

  • apricot jam
    (warmed and sieved) or apricot glaze
  • candied pineapple
    candied angelica, glacé cherries (a mixture of red, green and yellow if you can find them), crystallised ginger

Nutrition: Per serving

  • kcal420
  • fat18g
  • saturates7g
  • carbs55g
  • sugars44g
  • fibre3g
  • protein5g
  • salt0.4g
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Method

  • step 1

    Put the rum (or brandy), orange zest and juice and mixed dried fruit in a bowl and stir. Leave to soak overnight.

  • step 2

    Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3½. Double line a 20cm tin with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs one by one, then fold in the almonds and flour. Add a pinch of salt and fold in the soaked fruit mixture (and any remaining liquid in the bowl), along with the nuts, candied peel and ginger. Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the surface.

  • step 3

    Bake for 1 hr, then turn the oven down to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and bake for a further 2 hrs. Check the cake to see if it's pulling away from the sides of the tin and feels firm on top. If you need to, keep cooking for a further 15 mins. Cool in the tin. If storing in the tin, wrap the cake tightly first. Will freeze for up to two months.

  • step 4

    To decorate, brush the cake with the apricot jam (or glaze) and arrange your choice of candied fruit on top. Will keep in a sealed container for up to three weeks.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2018

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Comments, questions and tips (6)

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Overall rating

A star rating of 4 out of 5.11 ratings

Squidsin

I followed this recipe but stopped cooking after two hours as it was starting to burn. Don’t know how it could be cooked for another hour without being extremely dry and over cooked.

This has been removed

lindambeadle

This was loved by the whole family. The cake was fruity without the slight bitterness more heavily fruited cakes sometimes have. I froze it a month before Christmas and having defrosted it, covered it in thin marzi and fondant iced only the top. It has been moist and light and a pleasure to eat.

PicklePerkins avatar

PicklePerkins

I wonder... If I were to marzipan and ice this cake would it be a decent Christmas cake? I'm looking for a recipe that's a little more simple than some of the festive versions out there. Any suggestions appreciated!

eftihia

A star rating of 5 out of 5.

I loved this recipe. Thank you Lulu. In fact I read it in the Good Food magazine. Only I substituted about half of the dried fruit quantity with left over xmas pudding, as it was dry and I thinned it out with some orange juice-it was late and I did not have more fruit in the house. I also used a…

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