Tulip-Fairy's Family Christmas Cake

"My friend made our wedding cake using this recipe back in 1988. I have used it for my Christmas cake ever since. There would be a divorce in my house if I changed anything about it. You can eat it as it is or decorate it in the traditional way. The recipe is for 1 10" cake...However, I always make two as one is never enough in my house!!!"
 
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photo by Tulip-Fairy photo by Tulip-Fairy
photo by Tulip-Fairy
photo by Tulip-Fairy photo by Tulip-Fairy
Ready In:
6hrs
Ingredients:
10
Yields:
1 cake
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ingredients

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directions

  • Weigh out all fruit and leave to soak in the brandy overnight.
  • Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
  • Add eggs and flour and mix in milk and brandy until combined.
  • Stir in fruit and nuts, at this point I have been known to mix with a pair of very clean hands to ensure that all the fruit is mixed into the cake mixture.
  • Place mixture into a greased and lined 10" tin, protect with brown paper -- see note!
  • Bake in a slow oven 150°C 300°F Gas mark 2 for 5 1/2 hours or until a skewer can be pulled out of the centre of the cake clean.
  • Note: Protect a large cake by fastening a band of brown paper round the tin 2-3" higher than the tin, and cover the top of the cake with greaseproof paper after 3 hours.
  • The preparation time is a guess as this is not a job to be rushed, especially if you take on board a brandy or two while mixing it! Don't forget to make a wish while stirring it -- this has become a family tradition in my house!
  • Servings: Another guess as it depends on how big your slices are ;-).

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Reviews

  1. My first attempt at a British fruit cake and we enjoyed it very much! Once I got the batter made, I realized my pan wasn't quite big enough and had to split it between two pans, and ended up overbaking a bit, but only the edges suffered, and they were easily trimmed off. I used all of the different dried fruits I had on hand and they worked very well. I also added in the end of a bottle of kirsch and the end of bottle of Grand Marnier with the brandy. I liked it well enough to experiment with making a real decorated Christmas cake next year! Thanks for posting!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Thank you for stopping by to look at my page...here's a little bit about me... I live in the Uk with a hungry husband and two of my three fussy daughters. We follow a low carb diet which keeps our weight in check and I can stay off he wheat....it makes me poorly. I love making cakes, cookies and desserts for family and friends. In my life I am looking for world peace, unlimited supplies of organic chocoalte & self cleaning kitchen floors! I am at my happiest when getting paid, drinking wine & cooking cakes but it makes me very unhappy when it's my turn to wash up, when someone eats my chocolate, drinks my wine or uses my toilet! I work as a part time cook in a children's centrel. My afternoon job sees me as parish administrator at my local church. Outside of work I try to be as inactive as possible, although I do a bit of dog walking with ozzy (thankfully he only has little legs and doesn't need to go far. <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetulipfairy/Ozzy02/photo?authkey=HhT0ux14Lv0#5113793555440255698"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/thetulipfairy/RvfYJQaywtI/AAAAAAAABGo/NzK_AYCiF6I/s288/Oozzy%20003.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetulipfairy/Ozzy02/photo?authkey=HhT0ux14Lv0#5099192685257170082"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/thetulipfairy/RsP4uwYGHKI/AAAAAAAAA0g/8Ljxr4lLvwg/s288/Small%20Camera%20001.jpg" /></a> I am also interested in working towards early retirement, we intend to leave the kids in the house, travel around Europe in a silver camper van 'doing' all the F1 Grand Prix spending their inheritance as we go!! My favourite films in no particular order are: Pulp Fiction, Blues Brothers, Dirty Dancing, Fight Club, Pretty Women,Vanilla Sky, The Breakfast Club, Hideous Kinky (although the book is better), Ferris Buellers day off, Autumn in New York, Mistress of Spices, Splash, Scent of a Women, When Harry met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, Notting Hill I could go on and on and on....but I won't!!!! Some of my favourite books are, 365 Bedtime Stories, Harry Potter, Pomegranate soup, Julie / Julia Project, Hideous Kinky, Dinner with a perfect Stranger, The Tao of Pooh, this list really could go on and on and become endless as I am an avid reader. I have been a member of zaar's since May 2002 and have loved every minute of it, I just know that if I need a recipe you guys will have it! I haven't posted many recipes yet but I just love it when I receive a review. This is why I always review all the zaar recipes I try, I also try to photograph as many as possible too! <a href="http://www.amazingcounter.com"><img border="0" src="http://c8.amazingcounters.com/counter.php?i=1669569&c=5009020" alt="Hit Counter"></a><a href="http://www.amazingcounter.com">Free Web Counter</a> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/untitled.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/200_artistrichardneuman-art-prints_.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/Adopted1smp.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"><img src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b280/carolinamoon21/Octoberevent.jpg">
 
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