Description
Warm spices dance through this festive joyful holiday cake, creating a delightful centerpiece for seasonal celebrations. Sweet memories bloom with each slice, inviting family and friends to savor the rich, comforting flavors of winter’s most cherished dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Fruits and Alcohol:
- 850 g (30 ounces) mixed dried fruit (such as sultanas, raisins, cranberries, apricots, and mixed peel)
- 100 ml (3.4 fluid ounces) brandy
- 2 tablespoons brandy (for after baking)
- 1 tablespoon cointreau (optional; can be substituted with brandy)
- 1 tablespoon kirsch (optional; can be substituted with brandy)
- 100 g (3.5 ounces) glace cherries, chopped
Cake Base Ingredients:
- 235 g (8.3 ounces) butter or baking spread, softened and unsalted
- 235 g (8.3 ounces) dark brown soft sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 235 g (8.3 ounces) plain flour
- 100 g (3.5 ounces) ground almonds
Spices and Raising Agent:
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Create a luxurious fruit mixture by combining dried fruits with brandy, Cointreau, and Kirsch in a spacious mixing bowl, ensuring thorough coverage. Allow the mixture to marinate overnight, enabling the fruits to absorb the rich liquid essence.
- Warm the kitchen oven to a gentle 120C and meticulously prepare an 8-inch deep cake tin by coating with butter and lining twice with parchment paper for perfect protection.
- Transform softened butter and dark brown sugar into a light, airy cream through vigorous whisking, creating a smooth foundation. Gradually introduce eggs and vanilla extract, ensuring each addition blends seamlessly into the mixture.
- Delicately fold flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and aromatic spices (mixed spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves) into the creamy base, maintaining a gentle touch to preserve the batter’s delicate structure.
- Incorporate the alcohol-infused fruit mixture and chopped glace cherries, stirring carefully to distribute ingredients evenly throughout the batter. Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin, smoothing the surface with precision.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for approximately 3 ½ hours, monitoring until a slender skewer emerges cleanly from the center, indicating perfect doneness.
- After removing from the oven, puncture the cake’s surface with a skewer and drizzle additional brandy, allowing the liquid to permeate the warm cake. Allow the cake to cool completely within the tin, developing deeper flavors and moisture.
Notes
- Soaking dried fruits overnight intensifies their flavor and creates a richer, more complex taste profile for the holiday cake.
- Use room temperature ingredients like butter and eggs to ensure smooth blending and a consistently soft cake texture.
- Low and slow baking at 120C prevents burning and allows the cake to develop deep, complex flavors without drying out.
- Poking holes and adding extra brandy after baking creates moisture and enhances the cake’s rich, boozy character.
- Choose high-quality dried fruits and spirits to elevate the overall taste and luxurious feel of this festive dessert.
- Double-lining the cake tin prevents burning and helps create an even, perfectly shaped holiday cake.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg