Easy Christmas Cake
This dense, traditional Christmas cake is packed with a variety of dried fruits, nuts, and warm spices, and is soaked in brandy before baking for a rich flavor.
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Christmas cake
Ingredients (Fruit & Nuts)
| INGREDIENTS | AMOUNT |
| Candied cherries | 2 containers (8 ounce each) |
| Candied mixed citrus peel | 1 container (8 ounce) |
| Raisins | 2 cups |
| Dried currants | 1 cup |
| Dates, pitted and chopped | 1 cup |
| Blanched slivered almonds | 2 packages (2/1/4 ounce each) |
| Brandy | 1/2 cup |
Ingredients (Cake Batter)
| INGREDIENTS | AMOUNT |
| All-purpose flour (for dredging) | 1/2 cup |
| All-purpose flour (for batter) | 2 cups |
| Baking soda | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Ground cloves | 1 teaspoon |
| Ground allspice | 1 teaspoon |
| Ground cinnamon | 1 teaspoon |
| Salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Butter | 1 cup |
| Packed brown sugar | 2 cups |
| Eggs | 6 |
| Molasses | 3/4 cup |
| Apple juice | 3/4 cup |
How To Make Christmas Cake:
Step 1: Soak Fruit: In a medium bowl, combine the cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates, and almonds. Stir in the 1/2 cup brandy. Let stand for 2 hours, or preferably overnight, to soak. Dredge the soaked fruit mixture with the 1/2 cup flour until lightly coated.
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Step 2: Preheat and Prep Pan: Preheat oven to 275F (135C). Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again.
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Step 3: Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, mix together the 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
Step 4: Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream the 1 cup butter until light. Gradually blend in the 2 cups brown sugar and then the 6 eggs until combined.
Step 5: Combine Liquids: In a separate small bowl, mix together the 3/4 cup molasses and 3/4 cup apple juice.
Step 6: Finish Batter: Beat the molasses/apple juice mixture into the creamed butter/sugar/egg mixture alternately with the flour mixture, making four dry and three liquid additions, until a smooth batter forms. Fold in the floured fruit mixture gently.
Step 7: Bake: Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Step 8: Cool and Store: Remove the cake from the pan, and lift off the parchment paper. Cool the cake completely, and then wrap loosely in wax paper. Store in an airtight container.
