Friday 16 November 2012

Hot Toddy Cake

In an completely out-of-character moment, I got ahead of myself last weekend and made a start on a Christmas cake.  I would like to have done this on Sunday 25th, which is Stir-Up Sunday, but with a certain young lady's birthday celebrations being held that day, thought I would be unlikely to squeeze it in on the right day!  I am sharing this recipe here as I used it last year and it really was delicious - moist and fruity and moreish.

Last year's effort


I began by soaking the fruit 'overnight'.


700g mixed dried fruit, 100g glace cherries and 100g mixed peel soaked in 200ml hot, strong, black tea, 3 tablespoons whisky and 3 tablespoons marmalade

 Then I creamed together 225g butter and 225g golden caster.




4 eggs were lightly beaten and then gradually added to the mix, beating well after each addition.





225g plain flour, 1 tsp mixed spice and 1 tsp cinnamon were sifted together then folded into the mix...





Then the soaked fruit, and the grated rind of a lemon were folded through...




The mixture was then spooned into a 20cm round, double lined cake tin, levelled and baked at 160 degrees/ 140 Fan Oven/ Gas Mark 3 for 1 1/2 hours, then turned down to 140 degrees/ 120 Fan Oven/ Gas Mark 1 and baked for a further 1 1/2 hours till a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.  




Cool on a wire rack in the tin.  (Sorry - had given up with the camera by this time.  Try to hide your disappointment!)  Whilst still warm, use a skewer to pepper the cake with holes, then feed the cake with 50ml hot, strong black tea into which has been stirred 2 tsp sugar  and 1 tbsp whisky (or orange juice).

If you're making the cake ahead of time, you can feed it with a fresh swig of hot toddy each week, but take care not to make the cake soggy!  

The cake can be kept for a month, well-wrapped in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.  If short of time you can make and decorate the cake the same day.



7 comments:

  1. Beautifully simple decoration on your cake last year. I really like it.

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  2. The making of your cake was far more streamlined than ours! I like the idea of letting it'sip' a hot toddy every now and again.

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  3. I can smell it from here! Beautiful.
    I'm afraid this year, as there is only really me who likes fruit cake, I've opted out and bought one from Aldi.
    Carol xx

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  4. I can smell the fruit cake cooking right now!
    I make mine next week and make extra mixture to make our son a birthday cake. he has always loved christmas cake so I make an extra one in a 1lb bread tin
    Julie xxxxxxxxxxx

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  5. You are organised Mrs well done would you like to make me one please lol.Love the smell of christmas cake when its cooking and the taste of course.Love Jill xx

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  6. " It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.... " Pretty cake from last year & this year's mix looks good.

    Just read your last post. I adore that ad & the cover. I looked up the singer too. Gorgeous. I bought a hat in John Lewis this week...not a wooly one though - a hat for a wedding !

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