Fruitcake

This was our wedding cake. We were given this recipe by Frances’ sister, Diane Dunphy. I have made it before for Christmas also. I may make it again this year.
Submitted by: Frances Gurto
Favourite of: Our Family
Serving Size: 1 Piece
Number of servings :24
Prep time 30 minutes (plus the time you soak the fruit)
Total time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs (1 kg) sultanas or raisins
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 oz (125 gm) currants
  • 2 TBSP marmalade
  • 4 oz (125 gm) candied (glace) cherries
  • 1 Tsp Parisian essence. (Gravy coloring essence)
  • 4 oz (125 gm) mixed peel
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup rum, brandy or sherry
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 8 oz (250 gm)butter
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp fresh grated orange rind
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp fresh grated lemon rind
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • few drops of almond essence

Method

  1. Chop fruits and place in mixing bowl (large), pour on alcohol and mix well.  Cover.  Let stand overnight. ( usually use a bit more brandy in mine and let it sit for several weeks.)
  2. Cream butter with brown sugar, grated fruit rinds and essences, add marmalade.  Drop in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in prepared fruit alternately with sifted dry ingredients, mix well.
  3. Pour into 8 inch (20 cm) round or square cake pan lined with three thicknesses of parchment paper.  Settle mixture into pan by lifting pan up about 12″ and letting it drop sharply on a firm hard surface.  This ensures that the mixture settles into pan resulting in a good shape for the cake; this also breaks up any air bubbles that may form in mixture.
  4. For smooth top to cake, wet your hand and smooth the surface of the raw mixture before putting cake into oven.  This will ensure a flat even top and give a nice gloss to finished cake.
  5. Bake in slow oven -275F (140C) , approximately 4 hours.  When cooled, cake should feel firm, and a knife, when inserted into center of cake, should come out clean.
  6. Immediately when cake is removed from oven, wrap in clean towel or aluminum foil, to ensure soft surface on top of cake.  But before wrapping, pour some more alcohol (about 1/4 – 1/2 cup) over top of cake.
  7. Cake can be stored in a tin until required. Store in a reasonably cool place.

Special Instructions

The reason for three layers of parchment paper is that the cake cooks for so long, the paper helps prevent the sides of the cake from getting overcooked. This can be made without alcohol. I have substituted orange juice for the alcohol.