Nothing says Christmas like this dense, plump boiled fruit cake loaded with nuts, fruits, spices and a cheeky splash of sherry. Drizzle with homemade custard to really take it to the next level.
Ingredients
Method
Line a deep 22cm round cake pan with three layers of baking paper, extending paper 5cm above side.
Combine fruit, butter, sugar, 3/4 cup of the sherry and the water in a large saucepan; stir over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar dissolved. Bring to the boil, remove from heat; transfer to a large bowl; cool.
Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced).
Stir rind (or orange essence) and eggs into the fruit mixture, then the sifted dry ingredients. Spread the mixture into the pan and top with nuts.
Bake fruit cake for about 3 hours. Brush hot cake with remaining sherry; cover with foil; cool in pan overnight.
How long does boiled fruit cake last?
Boiled fruit cake lasts up to 6 months in a cool dry place, or up to 1 year in the fridge or freezer when properly wrapped.
How to store a boiled fruit cake
To store, remove the cake from the pan with the lining paper intact; wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap then foil.
You can also ‘feed’ a fruit cake to prolong its shelf life. Pierce cake all over with a skewer, then warm brandy or rum (or chosen alcohol) in the microwave and brush all over the cake. Wrap and store in the fridge.
Baking tips
- Make sure you have a big enough cake pan, as Christmas cakes can rise quite a bit as they cook.
- Check that the lined cake pan fits in your oven and reposition oven racks as needed before you preheat the oven.
- Keep in mind that it’s usually easier to remove a cake from the top shelf of your oven.
Why is my cake dry?
- Make sure you set the correct temperature for your oven to help ensure you get a moist cake rather than a dry one. Higher temperatures can cause a boiled fruit cake to dry out.
- When letting the cake cool, avoid putting it back in the warm oven as it could cook more and turn out dry.
- To add moisture to a dry boiled fruit cake after cooking, brush warm sherry or your chosen alcohol over the cake. You can also use a skewer to pierce it first (as we suggested for extending the shelf life) so the cake absorbs more moisture.
What is a boiled fruit cake?
A boiled fruit cake doesn’t mean that the cake is boiled, but the fruit mix is boiled with water and alcohol to release the flavour of the fruits and make them dense and plump.
Serve with…
Serve this moist fruit cake with homemade vanilla custard or thickened cream for the perfect traditional Christmas dessert.
