Christmas Fruitcake (Eggless)

"This is a very easy cake to make. The fruits never sink, and the cake is not as rich as some fruitcakes. Do not be put off by the list of ingredients -- it's worth adding them all. This is a South African recipe, so Zaarmail me for substitutions if necessary."
 
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photo by Anna K. photo by Anna K.
photo by Anna K.
Ready In:
2hrs 45mins
Ingredients:
25
Serves:
12

ingredients

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directions

  • Grease and line a large square or round cake tin with baking paper, and grease the paper as well. Heat oven to 375 deg F or 190 deg Celsius.
  • In a large pot mix the first 10 ingredients up to and including the boiling water.
  • Stir well. Bring to boiling, and simmer without a lid for 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and cool somewhat.
  • Stir in the butter and baking soda, and stir well to mix. The mixture will fizz a little.
  • When it has cooled down some more, scrape mixture into the bowl of your electric mixture.
  • Using lowest speed, add the next 9 ingredients up to and including the brandy or whisky (or use bourbon).
  • When everything has been incorporated well, remove the bowl from the mixer. Fold in the chopped figs, whole cherries and roughly chopped nuts. Use a wooden spoon.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, and smooth the top.
  • Bake 2 hours, BUT lower heat to 350 deg F /180 deg C after the first hour.
  • At the same time lay a double thickness of foil over the cake to prevent scorching.
  • Test with a skewer before removing!
  • Turn out gently on a wire rack and sprinkle over the last ingredient: the extra half cup of booze.
  • When cool, place on waxed paper in an airtight cake tin. Before using at Christmas, sprinkle over brandy, whisky or bourbon another 2 - 3 times.

Questions & Replies

  1. the temperature you have given , is that regular or fan oven?
     
  2. how much do you have in cup in grammes
     
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Reviews

  1. Must i have all these ingredients to bake this cake. Could i keep to 2 or 3 items? tks
     
  2. This cake is a winner! Light and moist, the fruit indeed remains suspended, and is very easy to make. For vegans who want an alcohol-free cake a fruit juice 'brew' made up of grape, berry and cranberry juices, a tablespoon quince preserve, with a teaspoon caramel (!) essence worked perfectly. I used two 9" pans instead of one large pan. The baking time was cut down to 1 hour 10 minutes in total: 40 min at 190 degrees C, and 30 minutes at 180. I hastily baked another batch the day before Christmas, as the first batch didn't last.
     
  3. My son has egg allergies. I tried this recipe and everyone loved it!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I'm a widow, retired, and I love cooking. I live on the coast in South Africa and I love seafood. You're welcome to my recipes (all kinds, definitely not just seafood!) Just remember that no recipe is ever cast in stone -- adjust to your taste! The photo was taken at a rustic seaside restaurant on our West Coast, approx 1 year ago (2016).
 
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