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Jenny’s Christmas Cake

Jenny's Christmas Cake recipe image
This traditional Christmas cake is a dense, moist loaf packed with dried mixed fruits, glace cherries, and crunchy nuts. The batter is enriched with butter, eggs, and demerara sugar, creating a deep, caramelized flavor profile. A key feature of this recipe is the long soaking period for the fruit in rum, brandy, or stout, which ensures every bite is intensely flavorful and moist. Baked slowly at low temperatures and wrapped in newspaper for even cooking, this cake develops a dark, crusty exterior. It is designed to mature over time, benefiting from regular feeding with alcohol to maintain its freshness and intensity. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this cake serves as a hearty dessert or a sophisticated tea-time treat that improves with age.
Cooking Method:
Cuisine:
Courses:
Difficulty: Advanced
Servings: 10
Calories: 1599.3
Dietary: Vegan
Description
This traditional Christmas cake is a dense, moist loaf packed with dried mixed fruits, glace cherries, and crunchy nuts. The batter is enriched with butter, eggs, and demerara sugar, creating a deep, caramelized flavor profile. A key feature of this recipe is the long soaking period for the fruit in rum, brandy, or stout, which ensures every bite is intensely flavorful and moist. Baked slowly at low temperatures and wrapped in newspaper for even cooking, this cake develops a dark, crusty exterior. It is designed to mature over time, benefiting from regular feeding with alcohol to maintain its freshness and intensity. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this cake serves as a hearty dessert or a sophisticated tea-time treat that improves with age.
Directions
  1. 1
    Combine the dried mixed fruit, rum, brandy, and Guinness stout in a large bowl.
  2. 2
    Cover the bowl and let the fruit soak for at least 3 days to infuse the flavors.
  3. 3
    Add the glace cherries and chopped walnuts to the soaking fruit mixture.
  4. 4
    In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the wholewheat flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.
  5. 5
    In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and demerara sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  6. 6
    Beat in the molasses, then add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
  7. 7
    Stir in the grated lemon and orange rinds into the butter mixture.
  8. 8
    Fold in half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined.
  9. 9
    Fold in the soaked fruit and nut mixture.
  10. 10
    Fold in the remaining flour mixture until no dry streaks remain.
  11. 11
    Line a loaf tin with parchment paper and wrap the outside of the tin tightly in newspaper to protect it from burning.
  12. 12
    Secure the newspaper with string and place the tin in the oven.
  13. 13
    Bake at 300°F (149°C) (Gas Mark 3) for the first 2 hours.
  14. 14
    Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F (135°C) (Gas Mark 2) and bake for an additional 90 minutes.
  15. 15
    Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before removing.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 10 servings

Amount Per Serving
Calories 1599.3kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 60.1g93%
Saturated Fat 5.4g27%
Cholesterol 0.0mg0%
Sodium 357.7mg15%
Total Carbohydrate 227.1g76%
Dietary Fiber 17.0g68%
Sugars 16.2g
Protein 44.6g90%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Keywords: christmas, fruit, cake, traditional, holiday, rum, soaked, fruitcake, baking, dessert, walnuts, cherries, almonds, wholewheat, stout, brandy, festive, moist, rich, classic
Read it online: https://www.chefs-mate.com/recipe/jennys-christmas-cake/